1 


m~  "  • 


"  Walk  Billcord  rushed  out  from  the  bushes."  —  Page  19. 


BOSTON, 

LEE^oSHEPARD 


THE   BOAT-BUILDER    SERIES 


STEM  TO   STEKN 


BUILDING   THE   BOAT 


fa^-1  La 
OLIVER   OPTiC 

AUTHOR  OF  "  YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD,"  "  THE  GREAT  WESTERN  SERIES,"  "  THB 
ARMY  AND  NAVY  SERIES,"    "  THE  WOODVILLK   SERIES,"   "  THE  STAREY- 
FLAG  SERIES,"  "  THE  BOAT-CLUB  STORIES,"  "  THE  ONWARD  AND 
UPWARD    SERIES,"    "  THE  YACHT-CLUB    SERIES,"    'VTHE 
LAKE-SHORE     SERIES,"     "THE    RIVERDALE    SE 
RIES,"  "ALL  ADRIFT,"  "  SNUG  HARBOR," 
"  SQUARE    AND    COMPASSES," 
ETC.,  ETC. 


TOftfj  Illustrations 


BOSTON 
LEE    AND  SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK    CHARLES  T.  DILLINGHAM 

1886 


; 

/oofa 
AS 


Copyright,  iSSs, 
BY  WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 


STEM  TO  STERN. 


ELECTROTYPED  BY 
C.  J.  PETERS  &  SON,  BOSTON. 


TO 
MY  ADOPTED  "  NEWY," 

JOHN     S.     SHRIVEK 

OF  BALTIMORE, 

THIS  BOOK  IS  AFFECTIONATELY 
DEDICATED. 


Boat-Buitoer 


1.  ALL  ADRIFT;  OR,  THE  GOLDWING 

CLUB. 

2.  SNUG    HARBOR;    OR,  THE  CHAM- 

PLAIN  MECHANICS. 

3.  gQUARE    AND    COMPASSES;    OR, 

BUILDING  THE  HOUSE. 

4.  §TEM     TO    STERN;     OR,    BUILDING 

THE  BOAT. 

5.  ALL  TAUT;  OR,  RIGGING  THE  BOAT. 


6.   READY    ABOUT;   OR,  SAILING  THE 
BOAT. 


PREFACE. 


"  STEM  TO  STERN  "  is  the  fourth  volume  of  the 
"  BOAT-BUILDER  SERIES."  Most  of  the  characters 
connected  with  the  Beech  Hill  Industrial  School 
continue  to  take  part  in  the  action  of  the  story. 
Like  its  predecessors,  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  work  is  devoted  to  business  and  mechanical 
information.  The  writer  finds  it  quite  impracti 
cable  to  give  as  minute  directions  for  the  building 
of  a  boat  as  a  few  of  his  young  readers  may  de 
sire,  for  the  entire  volume  would  hardly  afford 
sufficient  space  for  all  the  details  of  planning  and 
constructing  a  yacht.  But  he  has  endeavored  to 
impart  some  information  in  a  general  way  in  regard 
to  shipbuilding,  and  has  indicated  in  what  manner 
the  ambitious  young  boat-builder  may  obtain  the 
amplest  instruction  in  this  difficult  art.  It  is 
necessary  to  assure  his  young  friends  that,  with  all 

5 


b  PREFACE. 

the  book-knowledge  it  is  possible  to  obtain  on  the 
subject,  it  will  require  a  great  deal  of  skill  and  not 
a  little  scientific  and  technical  learning  to  enable 
him  to  construct  anything  more  elaborate  than 
an  ordinary  flatboat.  Nothing  but  assiduous  prac 
tice  can  procure  the  skill,  and  nothing  but  hard 
study  the  geometrical  and  technical  details  of  the 
art. 

As  in  the  preceding  volumes  of  the  series, 
"  STEM  TO  STERN  "  is  largely  a  story  of  adventure 
on  Lake  Champlain  and  its  shores.  A  new  char 
acter  is  introduced  as  the  leading  spirit  of  the 
story,  whose  struggles  with  the  difficulties  in  his 
life-path  can  hardly  fail  to  interest  the  young 
reader.  Though  he  is  peaceful  and  submissive 
under  ordinary  circumstances,  with  none  of  the 
swellish  importance  of  many  boys  of  his  years, 
he  is  not  a  milk-and-water  youth,  and  has  pluck 
and  strength  enough  to  "  stand  up"  for  those  whom 
misfortune  has  placed  under  his  protection. 

Although  the  two  remaining  volumes  of  the  series 
are  especially  devoted  to  rigging  and  'sailing  a  boat, 
the  present  and  the  preceding  books  incidentally 
treat  of  these  subjects.  While  so  many  young  men 


PKEFACE.  7 

on  the  sea,  lakes  and  rivers  seem  to  inherit  or  early 
acquire  a  taste  for  boats  and  boating,  it  is  impor 
tant  that  they  should  understand  the  theory  of 
managing  a  sailing  craft,  though  nothing  but  in 
telligent  practice  can  make  a  competent  "skipper." 
With  such  knowledge  and  skill,  boat-sailing  is  a 
safe,  as  well  as  a  healthy  and  improving  sport. 

As  in  former  volumes,  the  writer  has  endeav 
ored  to  interest  his  young  readers  in  mechanical 
operations  and  pursuits ;  and  he  hopes  the  series 
will  contribute  its  mite  in  influencing  boys  to  re 
spect  manual  labor  and  to  adopt  it  as  a  pastime  or 
the  business  of  life. 

DOKCHESTEB,  MASS.,  August  17,  1885. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

LILY  BRISTOL  AND  HER  TORMENTOR 13 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  SON  OF  TOIL  FIGHTS  HIS  OWN  BATTLE     ....    25 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  FINAL  MANDATE  OF  MAJOR  BILLCORD     ....    35 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  ABSENCE  OF  THE  TRUANT  DRAGON 45 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  GOLDWING  AT  SANDY  POINT 55 

CHAPTER  VI. 

A  CALL  FOR  ALL  HANDS  AT  BEECH  HILL 65 

CHAPTER  VII. 

AN  EXPEDITION  BY  MOONLIGHT        75 

9 


10  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
A  CHANGE  OF  LOCATION 85 

CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  JANITOR  OF  THE  BOAT-HOUSE 95 

CHAPTER  X. 
A  LECTURE  ON  SHIP-BUILDING 105 

CHAPTER  XI. 
ROUGH  WATER  ON  LAKE  CHAMPLAIN 117 

CHAPTER  XII. 

A  SAILBOAT  IN  THE  TROUGH  OF  THE  SEA 126 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  DISASTER  TO  THE  SILVER  MOON 135 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  WORK  OF  AN  INCOMPETENT  SKIPPER      ....    145 

CHAPTER  XV. 

"ROLL  ON,  SILVER  MOON" 155 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

DORY  DORNWOOD  GIVES  A  LESSON  IN  BOAT-SAILING,    167 


CONTENTS.  11 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
THE  MISSION  OF  THE  Six  RUFFIANS 176 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
THE  RESULT  OF  AN  UNEQUAL  CONFLICT 186 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

A  DEADLOCK  AT  THE  HEAD  OF  THE  BAY 196 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  REBELLIOUS  SKIPPER  OF  THE  SLOOP 206 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

AN  OUTRAGE  IN  THE  STANDING-ROOM  OF  THE  SLOOP,    216 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
AN  INVITATION  TO  SANDY  POINT 226 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
THE  PROCEEDINGS  AT  SANDY  POINT 236 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  STUDENTS  DECIDE  "WHAT'S  IN  A  NAME"      .    .    246 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

BUILDING  THE  BOAT  .  ,    .    256 


12  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THAT  CUNNING  TOM  TOPOVER 266 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  BRILLIANT  STRATEGY  OF  THE  BRUISER  ....    276 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
A  HARD  BATTLE  AT  SANDY  POINT 286 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  ENGINEER  OF  THE  UNDINE 296 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
LAUNCHING  THE  BOAT 312 


STEM    TO    STERN; 


OR, 


BUILDING  THE  BOAT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

LILY   BRISTOL    AND   HER   TORMENTOR. 

T  DON'T  want  anybody  to  row  for  me,  Mr. 
Walker ;  I  came  out  to  take  a  little  exercise, 
and  I  can  do  it  best  when  I  am  all  alone,"  said 
Miss  Lily  Bristol  to  a  young  gentleman  of  about 
eighteen  who  stood  on  the  sandy  beach. 

"But  it  will  be  a  good  deal  more  sociable  to 
have  company,"  replied  Walk  Billcord  with  a 
smile  and  a  smirk. 

Lily  Bristol  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  very 
pretty  girl,  and  fame  had  not  exaggerated  her 
beauty.  She  was  very  plainly  dressed,  but  she 
was  as  neat  as  though  she  had  just  come  out  of  the 
bureau-drawer.  She  was  seated  in  a  rude  flatboat, 
with  a  pair  of  oars  in  her  hands,  which  she  seemed 
to  know  how  to  use. 

13 


14  STEM  TO  STERN; 

The  boat  was  only  a  rod  or  two  from  the  end 
of  Sandy  Point,  at  the  southern  side  of  the  entrance 
to  a  bay  with  the  same  name.  It  was  in  the  spring 
of  the  year,  and  the  water  in  Lake  Champlain  was 
at  its  highest. 

Hardly  more  than  a  rod  from  the  point  where 
the  rippling  waves  sported  with  the  bright  sand 
was  a  small  and  lightly-built  cottage.  It  contained 
two  rooms  on  the  lower  floor,  with  two  small  attic 
chambers  over  them.  The  structure  rested  on 
posts  set  in  the  sand,  and  looked  as  light  and  airy 
as  a  bird-cage. 

This  cottage  was  the  home  of  Peter  Bristol,  or, 
rather,  of  his  wife  and  two  children  ;  for  the  father 
of  the  family  had  been  away  for  two  years,  seeking 
to  better  his  impaired  fortunes.  Peter  had  always 
been  a  poor  man,  and  was  always  likely  to  be. 
He  had  been  a  sort  of  Jack-at-all-trades,  not  par 
ticularly  good  at  any.  He  had  been  a  fireman  on 
a-jrallroad,  a  farm-hand,  a  general  jobber ;  he  had 
triedThis  hand  at  almost  everything  without  much 
success. 

Major  Billcord  owned  all  the  land  near  Sandy 
Point.  Some  years  before,  he  had  taken  it  into  his 
head  that  the  high  ground  in  the  rear  of  Sandy  Bay 
would  be  an  excellent  site  for  a  hotel.  Some  of 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  15 

his  friends  did  not  agree  with  him,  and  assured 
him  that  a  hotel  could  not  live  in  this  location. 

But  the  major  was  an  obstinate  man,  and  had  his 
own  way.  He  erected  a  structure  of  fifty  rooms, 
with  the  intention  of  adding  a  hundred  more  after 
the  first  season.  But  for  half  a  dozen  reasons  the 
hotel  was  a  dreary  failure.  It  never  contained 
more  than  half  a  score  of  guests  at  any  one  time. 

Included  in  this  small  number  was  Colonel 
Buckmill,  who  was  then  looking  for  a  suitable  site 
for  an  academy.  The  owner  of  the  estate  would 
not  admit  that  the  hotel  was  a  failure,  but  he  hinted 
that  the  building  might  be  obtained  for  the  school. 
It  exactly  suited  Colonel  Buckmill,  and  a  bargain 
was  soon  made  for  a  lease  of  it.  In  this  manner 
the  Sunnyside  Hotel  became  the  Chesterfield  Col 
legiate  Institute  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year. 

Of  course,  one  of  the  attractions  of  the  Sunny- 
side  was  to  be  boating  on  the  lake,  and  Major 
Billcord  provided  two  sailboats  and  some  rov$t 
boats  ;  and  Peter  Bristol,  who  Was  a  good  boatSian, 
was  engaged  to  take  care  of  the  boats,  and  act  as 
skipper  when  required.  The  poor  man,  taking  his 
cue  from  his  employer,  believed  he  had  fallen  upon 
a  bonanza.  His  fortune  was  made,  and  the  rest 
of  his  days  would  be  spent  at  Sandy  Point. 


16  STEM  TO  STERN; 

His  wife  had  over  three  hundred  dollars  in  her 
own  right  in  a  savings  bank,  which  she  was  willing 
to  put  into  a  house,  and  the  cottage  on  the  point 
was  built.  The  family  moved  into  it,  and  were 
delighted  with  the  situation,  though  it  was  a  rather 
dismal  place  in  the  winter.  Peter  was  to  have 
half  the  money  derived  from  letting  the  boats ; 
but  he  soon  found  that  he  had  nothing  to  do.  The 
few  guests  did  not  care  to  row  or  sail. 

The  boatman  had  no  rent  to  pay,  for  the  major 
had  given  him  permission  to  put  his  house  on  the 
point  without  charge ;  but  he  found  it  was  very 
hard  work  to  get  enough  for  his  family  to  eat. 
Lily  obtained  work  in  Westport,  and  Paul  attended 
to  the  boats  while  his  father  worked  at  haying,  and 
they  got  through  the  season.  But  the  dream  of 
fortune  had  collapsed. 

Peter  Bristol  was  discouraged,  and  went  to  New 
York  to  find  work.  He  obtained  no  situation,  and 
shipped  for  the  West  Indies.  A  letter  from  him 
informed  his  family  that  he  was  at  work  on  a 
plantation,  and  he  hoped  to  do  well  after  a  while. 
Since  that,  nothing  had  been  heard  from  him  in 
two  years. 

Paul  obtained  a  little  work  at  the  institute,  and 
Lily  kept  her  place  in  Westport ;  so  that  the  fam- 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  17 

ily  had  worried  along  until  the  daughter  lost  her 
situation  for  the  want  of  sufficient  work  at  the 
store  in  which  she  was  employed.  Then  it  was 
difficult  even  to  obtain  enough  to  eat.  Paul  did 
his  best,  and  allowed  himself  to  be  bullied  and 
kicked  by  the  gentlemanly  students  of  the  institute, 
while  he  could  make  an  occasional  quarter. 

Major  Billcord  lived  in  Westport,  and  his  son 
had  lately  become  a  pupil  in  the  institute.  He 
was  older  than  most  of  the  students,  and  was  a 
wild  young  fellow.  In  the  early  spring  he  had 
seen  Lily  Bristol.  He  agreed  with  others  who 
had  seen  her  that  she  was  a  remarkably  pretty 
girl,  and  he  had  made  frequent  visits  to  Sandy 
Point. 

tf  I  prefer  to  be  in  the  boat  alone,"  Lily  replied 
to  the  young  gentleman's  remark  that  it  would  be 
more  sociable  to  have  company. 

"But  I  want  to  see  you,  Lily,  and  have  a  talk 
with  you,"  persisted  Walker  Billcord. 

"I  will  see  you  at  the  cottage  if  you  desire," 
answered  Lily. 

"But  I  wish  to  see  you  alone." 

"You  cannot  see  me  alone,  sir,"  replied  the 
pretty  maiden  with  a  great  deal  of  spirit. 

"What's  the  reason  I  can't?    I  shall  not  hurt 


18  STEM   TO 


you.  I  think  I  know  how  to  behave  like  a  gentle 
man." 

"Perhaps  you  do,"  added  Lily  rather  doubt 
fully,  for  Walk  Billcord's  reputation  was  none  of 
the  best. 

"  If  you  will  come  to  the  shore,  I  will  row  you 
all  about  the  bay,"  Walk  insisted.  "I  will  make 
it  as  pleasant  for  you  as  possible." 

"No,  I  thank  you,"  replied  the  damsel  decid 
edly. 

"  What  's  the  matter  with  you  ?  I  hope  you 
don't  think  I  mean  to  do  you  any  harm." 

"I  am  not  afraid  of  you,  but  I  choose  to  be 
alone  in  the  boat." 

With  this  she  pulled  away  from  the  shore,  though 
he  continued  to  call  out  to  her  as  long  as  she  was 
Avithin  hearing.  She  did  not  like  the  young  man 
at  all,  but  rather  despised  than  feared  him.  He 
had  often  thrown  himself  in  her  way,  and  exerted 
himself  to  please  her.  She  was  civil  to  him,  and 
that  was  all. 

Lily  remained  in  the  boat,  pulling  about  the 
little  bay  for  over  an  hour.  Walk  had  stood  upon 
the  beach  for  at  least  half  an  hour,  waiting  for  her 
return  to  the  shore.  Then  he  had  retired,  and 
the  fair  maiden  supposed  he  had  gone  back  to  the 


OR,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  19 

institute.  When  she  hud  taken  all  the  air  and 
exercise  she  thought  she  needed,  she  rowed  back 
to  the  shore.  Just  as  she  had  driven  the  bow  of 
the  flutboat  as  far  as  she  could  on  the  sand,  Walk 
Billcord  rushed  out  from  the  bushes,  where  he 
had  concealed  himself,  and  prevented  her  from 
getting  out  of  the  boat. 

She  had  put  the  oars  under  the  thwarts,  and 
arranged  everything  inside  of  the  boat,  "which  had 
delayed  her  a  few  moments.  But  as  soon  as  she 
saw  her  tormentor  running  to  the  waterside,  she 
attempted  to  leap  out  of  the  boat. 

"No,  you  don't,  my  pretty  maiden  !  "  exclaimed 
"Walk,  as  he  seized  her  by  the  shoulders,  and 
crowded  her  back  to  her  seat  in  the  stern. 

Under  the  impetus  of  the  force  applied  to  her 
by  the  young  man,  Lily  dropped  into  the  seat,  and 
was  obliged  to  grasp  the  gunwale  of  the  boat  to 
avoid  being  thrown  into  the  water.  The  fair  face 
of  the  young  lady  was  flushed  with  anger,  as  well 
it  might  have  been,  for  she  had  not  suspected  that 
her  tormentor  would  resort  to  violence. 

She  was  not  inclined  to  submit  quietly  to  the 
will  of  Walk,  for  she  immediately  drew  out  one 
of  the  oars  from  under  the  thwarts,  and  poised  it 
in  the  air,  as  though  she  intended  to  defeat  the 


20  STEM  TO  STERN; 

intentions  of  the  reckless  young  gentleman  even 
by  meeting  force  with  force. 

AValk  Billcord  stood  for  a  moment  holding  on 
at  the  prow  of  the  boat,  as  though  he  was  unde 
cided  as  to  his  next  step.  Doubtless  he  felt  that 
he  had  already  passed  the  bounds  of  propriety, 
and  appeared  to  be  considering  whether  it  was 
prudent  to  proceed  any  further.  A  glance  at  the 
glowing  and  indignant  face  of  Lily  increased  his 
interest  in  the  adventure,  and  he  was  not  willing  to 
leave  her  in  the  moment  of  her  heightened  beauty. 

Lily  was  the  daughter  of  a  poor  dependent  of 
his  father  :  at  least,  he  so  regarded  her,  and  thought 
he  had  some  right  to  subject  her  to  his  own  Avhiin. 
lie  wanted  to  row  her  about  the  bay,  and  talk  with 
her  ;  and  this  was  the  extent  of  his  present  wishes. 
It  was  only  a  "bit  of  a  lark,"  a  harmless  pleas 
antry,  on  his  part,  as  he  afterward  explained  it, 
and  he  had  not  the  slightest  intention  of  injuring 
her. 

The  fair  maiden  did  not  regard  herself  as  a 
proper  subject  for  the  }roung  gentleman's  pleas 
antry,  and  she  was  prepared  to  bring  down  the 
blade  of  the  oar  upon  his  head  if  the  occasion 
should  require.  In  the  attitude  of  defence  she 
waited  for  his  next  demonstration.  The  upraised 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  21 

oar  rather  tempted  Walk  to  proceed,  and  he  pushed 
the  bow  of  the  boat  from  the  sand,  springing  into 
the  foresheets  as  he  did  so. 

As  this  was  not  a  direct  assault  upon  her,  Lily 
did  not  bring  down  the  oar  upon  his  head,  as  she 
would  under  greater  provocation,  but  she  dropped 
it  into  the  water  at  the  stern  of  the  boat.  The 
water  was  shoal ;  and,  setting  the  blade  upon  the 
sand  at  the  bottom,  she  dexterously  whirled  the 
craft  about,  bringing  the  stern  within  a  few  feet 
of  the  dry  sands  on  the  shore. 

Mr.  Walk  Billcord  did  not  object  to  this  move 
ment,  as  it  was  necessary  to  head  the  boat  away 
from  the  shore ;  but  he  deemed  it  prudent  to 
secure  the  other  oar  before  his  fair  companion 
could  do  so.  He  stooped  down  and  got  hold  of 
the  blade  end  of  it.  It  required  a  little  tact  to 
remove  it  from  its  position  under  the  thwarts  ;  and, 
while  he  was  engaged  in  doing  it,  Lily  gave  the 
oar  another  push,  forcing  the  boat  close  up  to 
the  shore. 

Without  waiting  for  her  tormentor  to  get  the 
second  oar  over  the  forward  thwart,  she  leaped 
lightly  upon  the  dry  sand,  effecting  her  landing 
without  wetting  the  soles  of  her  shoes.  She  still 
held  the  oar  in  her  hand,  and  stood  on  the  shore, 


22  STEM   TO   STEEN; 

waiting  for  the  next  move  of  her  unwelcome  com 
panion. 

She  was  too  proud  to  run  away  from  such  a 
contemptible  being  as  she  considered  Mr.  Walk 
Billcord.  She  looked  as  though  she  felt  abun 
dantly  able  to  defend  herself  from  any  attack  on 
the  part  of  the  unmanly  persecutor.  She  evidently 
believed  that  he  had  no  serious  intention  to  harm 
her,  but  was  simply  making  her  the  sport  of  his 
whim. 

The  moment  she  leaped  ashore,  Walk  realized 
that  she  had  got  the  better  of  him.  Whatever  he 
intended,  he  did  not  like  to  be  outdone  by  a  feeble 
girl.  It  was  not  pleasant  for  him,  even  in  fun,  to 
be  outwitted  by  a  weak  maiden.  He  felt  that  he 
had  not  been  smart,  and  he  was  annoyed  at  the 
situation.  His  vanity  demanded  that  he  should  do 
something  to  get  "even"  with  his  intended  victim. 

The  confident  look  and  attitude  of  Lily  on  the 
shore  disconcerted  him,  and  invited  further  action 
on  his  part.  He  had  not  yet  obtained  possession 
of  the  oar,  for  it  had  to  be  shoved  back  before  it 
could  be  passed  over  the  forward  thwart.  But 
he  had  no  present  need  of  the  implement,  and  he 
abandoned  it  to  survey  the  position  of  Lily.  He 
interpreted  her  looks  and  attitude  as  a  defiance. 


OF.,    BUILDING   THE    BOAT.  23 

The  boat,  detached  from  the  sand,  was  floating 
away  from  the  shore.  With  a  long  leap  he  planted 
his  feet  on  the  land,  and  the  effect  of  his  move 
ment  was  to  drive  the  boat  farther  from  the  beach. 
A  gentle  breeze  from  the  westward  was  driving 
it  farther  away,  and  Lily  saw  that  it  would  soon 
be  out  of  her  reach. 

She  rushed  to  the  water's  edge,  and,  reaching  out 
as  far  as  she  could,  she  succeeded  in  placing  the 
end  of  the  blade  on  the  prow.  She  began  to  draw 
the  truant  craft  toward  the  shore,  when  Walk  put 
himself  at  her  side.  He  took  the  oar  from  her 
hand,  and  pulled  the  craft  up  till  its  bottom  grated 
on  the  sand. 

Lily  took  a  stick,  and  tried  to  get  hold  of  the 
painter.  As  soon  as  she  had  it  in  her  hand,  Walk 
took  it  from  her.  He  not  only  took  the  rope,  but 
the  hand  which  held  it.  He  grasped  her  wrist 
with  one  hand,  while  he  tried  to  drag  the  boat 
ashore  with  the  other.  He  soon  found  that  he  had 
his  hands  full,  both  literally  and  figuratively. 

Lily  attempted  to  shake  him  off;  but  Walk 
tightened  his  hold  upon  her  wrist,  though  he  had 
to  drop  the  painter  of  the  boat,  which,  having  no 
hold  upon  the  land,  began  to  float  off  into  the  open 
lake.  The  fair  maiden  turned  and  twisted  in  her 


24  STEM   TO   STEEX. 

efforts  to  escape,  but  the  young  ruffian  held  on  like 
a  vise. 

In  a  moment  or  two  she  was  exhausted  with  the 
violence  of  her  exertions,  and  by  this  time  she  was 
thoroughly  frightened.  Very  likely  Walk  had  no 
worse  intentions  than  at  first,  and  was  simply 
engaged  in  the  business  of  getting  "even"  with  the 
weak  maiden  who  had  outwitted  him. 

"What  do  you  mean,  you  wretch?  Let  go  of 
me!"  gasped  Lily,  her  chest  heaving  with  terror 
and  emotion. 

"  Don't  make  a  fuss,  my  pretty  one  ;  I  will  not 
harm  you,"  replied  Walk. 

"Let  go  of  me,  Mr.  Billcord !  I  thought  you 
claimed  to  be  a  gentleman !  Let  go,  or  I  will 
scream,"  panted  Lily. 

"I  only  want  to  take  a  little  row  with  you,  and 
I  shall,  you  may  depend  upon  that,"  added  Walk, 
picking  up  the  oar  which  had  fallen  on  the  beach. 
"Don't  make  a  fuss,  and  I  won't  hurt  you." 

But  Lily  again  renewed  the  struggle  with  all 
her  might.  Just  at  that  moment,  Paul  Bristol  and 
his  mother  came  out  of  the  cottage.  The  boy  was 
a  stout  youth  of  fifteen,  and,  the  moment  he  saw 
what  was  going  on,  he  broke  into  a  run. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    SON    OF    TOIL   FIGHTS    HIS    OWN    BATTLE. 

T3AUL  BRISTOL  seemed  to  have  made  only  a 
couple  of  bounds  before  he  had  covered  the 
distance  between  the  cottage  and  the  shore.  He 
saw  his  sister  struggling  to  release  herself  from 
the  grasp  of  Walk  Billcord.  All  the  indignation 
Nature  had  portioned  out  to  him  was  roused,  and 
he  did  not  stop  to  ask  any  questions.  He  did  not 
even  utter  a  word  of  warning  or  reproach. 

His  two  fists  were  clinched  in  hard  knots  before 
he  reached  the  scene  of  the  encounter,  and,  without 
waiting  to  consider  the  situation,  he  planted  a  blow 
with  his  right  fist  between  the  two  eyes  of  his 
sister's  persecutor,  and  then  did  the  same  with  the 
left.  The  effect  was  instant  and  decisive.  Walk 
went  over  backwards  upon  the  sand,  and  his  hold 
upon  the  fair  maiden  was  released. 

By  this  time  Mrs.  Bristol  had  come  to  the  spot, 
and,  putting  her  arm  around  her  panting,  trem 
bling  daughter,  she  led  her  to  the  cottage  without 

25 


26  STEM   TO    STERN; 

taking  note  of  the  result  of  the  battle,  though  she 
could  not  help  seeing  that  the  tormentor  had  been 
vanquished  in  the  first  onslaught. 

Walk  Billcord  was  utterly  astonished  as  well  as 
effectually  upset.  Paul  Bristol  had  always  been 
meek  and  subservient  in  his  dealings  with  the 
students,  and  no  one  could  have  suspected  that 
there  was  anything  like  a  claw  in  his  hard  paws. 
If  Mr.  Walker  was  astonished  the  first  moment 
after  his  unexpected  fall,  he  \vas  indignant  and 
boili.ig  over  with  wrath  the  second. 

Though  it  was  probable  that  both  of  the  young 
gentleman's  eyes  had  been  put  into  mourning  for 
the  coming  week,  he  was  not  otherwise  damaged, 
and  he  leaped  to  his  feet  as  soon  as  he  could  real 
ize  what  had  happened.  He  saw  that  he  had  been 
struck  down  by  one  whom  he  had  always  regarded 
as  a  son  of  toil,  — a  sort  of  cur  about  the  premises 
of  the  institute.  His  blood  boiled,  and,  without  a 
word  of  any  kind,  he  proceeded  to  "pitch  into" 
his  late  assailant  with  all  the  physical  vigor  he 
could  bring  to  bear  upon  him. 

Paul  warded  off  the  wild  blows  aimed  at  him, 
and  soon  planted  one  of  his  own  on  the  end  of  the 
young  gentleman's  nose,  which  caused  the  blood 
to  flow  in  a  stream  from  that  organ.  But  Walk 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  27 

did  not  mind  this  little  incident,  though  Paul  was 
rather  startled  to  see  what  he  had  done.  The 
latter  was  inclined  to  deal  as  gently  as  he  couM 
with  his  gentlemanly  opponent ;  but  he  found  it 
necessary  to  defend  himself  from  the  impetuous 
charges  of  Walk.  In  doing  so  he  delivered  a 
hard  hit,  which  carried  his  foe  to  the  ground  again. 

The  young  gentleman  was  not  yet  satisfied, 
though  he  realized  that  he  was  not  a  match  for  his 
toil-hardened  opponent.  He  sprang  to  his  feet 
once  more,  out  of  breath,  but  unwilling  to  yield  a 
hair  to  such  an  assailant.  Grasping  the  stick  Lily 
had  used  to  haul  in  the  boat,  he  again  rushed  upon 
Paul,  and  aimed  a  blow  at  his  head;  but  Paul 
retreated  a  few  steps,  and  picked  up  the  oar  which 
had  dropped  on  the  beach. 

Paul  Bristol  Avas  entirely  cool,  now  that  his 
sister  was  no  longer  in  peril,  and  he  began  to  real 
ize  that  a  quarrel  with  the  son  of  the  proprietor  of 
the  domain  was  a  very  serious  matter.  With  the 
oar  he  warded  off  the  blows  of  his  insane  adver 
sary,  and  this  Avas  all  he  wished  to  do.  He  could 
easily  have  "  laid  him  out "  again,  but  the  fear  of 
consequences  kept  him  within  bounds. 

Walk  exhausted  himself  to  no  purpose.  He 
could  not  hit  his  opponent,  and  his  strength  and 


28  STEM   TO    STEKN; 

his  wind  were  soon  used  up.  He  drew  back  a 
little,  and  fixed  a  savage  gaze  upon  his  stalwart 
enemy.  He  panted  like  a  wild  beast  at  bay,  and 
his  blood  boiled  all  the  more  because  he  could  ac 
complish  nothing. 

"I'll  settle  you  yet,  Paul  Bristol!"  exclaimed 
Walk  as  he  stepped  down  to  the  edge  of  the  water 
and  began  to  wash  the  blood  from  his  face. 

"I'm  settled  now,"  replied  Paul  calmly.  "I 
have  had  enough  of  it,  and  I  should  like  to  stop 
where  we  are." 

"  You  won't  stop  where  we  are,  not  till  I  have 
beaten  you  to  a  jelly.  I  shall  break  every  bone  in 
your  dirty  carcass  before  I  get  through  with  you," 
gasped  Walk,  struggling  for  an  even  supply  of 
breath. 

"When  I  say  I  have  got  enough  of  it,  that 
ought  to  end  the  affair,"  added  Paul  with  a  cheer 
ful  smile  on  his  face. 

"I  don't  care  what  you  say;  you  haven't  got 
enough.  You  have  given  me  two  sore  eyes  and  a 
bloody  nose,  and  you  haven't  got  anything  to  bal 
ance  it,"  growled  Walk.  "I  mean  to  break  your 
head,  and  then  I  will  call  it  square." 

"But  I  don't  want  my  head  broken,  if  it  is  all 
the  same  to  }'ou,"  replied  Paul,  leaning  on  the 


OR,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  29 

oar.  "  My  head  is  of  some  use  to  me,  arid  it 
would  not  he  pleasant  to  have  it  broken." 

"  You  hegan  it,  and  you  shall  have  enough  of  it 
before  we  are  done,"  added  Walk,  beginning  to 
breathe  a  little  more  freely. 

"  I  began  it  ? "  queried  Paul  with  the  same 
cheerful  smile.  "  I  don't  think  so,  and  I  should 
like  to  argue  the  question  with  you." 

"Didn't  you  hit  me  first,  you  nunkhead?"  de 
manded  Walk. 

"  Did  n't  you  lay  hold  of  my  sister  first,  and 
frighten  her  half  out  of  her  wits  ?  " 

"I  didn't  hurt  her,  and  I  was  only  fooling  with 
her." 

"  Fooling  with  her !  That's  just  what  I  was 
doing  with  you.  I  was  only  fooling  with  you,  Mr. 
Walker." 

"  I  don't  like  that  sort  of  fooling,  you  speckled 
cur ! " 

"My  sister  didn't  like  your  sort  of  fooling  any 
better  than  you  like  mine.  But,  if  you  want  to 
stop  fooling,  now  is  a  good  time  to  begin." 

"I  will  stop  when  I  get  even  with  you,  and  not 
before,"  snapped  Walk.  "You  struck  the  first 
blow,  and  I  mean  to  strike  the  last." 

By  this  time  the  young  gentleman   had  fairly 


30  STEM  TO  STERN; 

recovered  his  wind,  but  nothing  like  coolness  had 
come  over  his  temper.  Dropping  the  stick,  he 
rushed  upon  Paul  again  with  his  nuked  tists.  He 
was  savage,  and  the  boatman's  son  soon  found 
that  he  could  not  passively  defend  himself,  and  the 
result  was  that  Walk  soon  went  under  again. 

This  disaster  made  him  madder  than  ever,  and 
when  he  rose  from  the  beach  he  seized  the  stick 
again,  which  Paul  met  with  the  oar.  Paul  liked 
this  way  of  carrying  on  the  combat  better  than 
the  other,  for  he  could  defend  himself  without  in 
flicting  any  injury  on  his  furious  opponent. 

While  Walk  was  thus  wearing  himself  out,  a 
gentleman  with  a  riding-whip  in  his  hand  came  out 
of  the  path  through  the  woods.  As  soon  as  he 
discovered  what  was  going  on  upon  the  beach,  he 
quickened  his  pace,  and  reached  the  scene  of  the 
conflict  at  a  sharp  run.  It  was  Major  Billcord, 
the  father  of  Paul's  wrathy  opponent. 

"What  does  all  this  mean?"  demanded  the 
major  when  he  had  come  within  speaking  dis 
tance  of  the  combatants.  "  How  dare  you  strike 
my  son  with  that  oar?" 

"I  haven't  struck  him  once  with  it,"  replied 
Paul,  aghast  at  the  presence  of  the  mighty  propri 
etor  of  the  domain.  "  I  am  only  defending  myself, 


OR,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  31 

"You  have  no  business  to  defend  yourself 
against  my  son,  you  dirty  puppy.  How  dare  you 
lift  a  weapon  against  him?"  stormed  Major  Bill- 
cord  ;  and  to  him  there  was  only  one  side  to  the 
controversy,  whatever  it  was. 

Walk  had  dropped  his  stick  as  soon  as  he  heard 
the  voice  of  his  father,  and  Paul  had  done  the  same 
with  the  oar.  The  latter  felt  that  he  had  got  into 
a  very  bad  scrape.  The  major  was  a  magnate  of  the 
first  order,  and  he  was  supreme  on  his  own  do 
main.  His  mother  was  a  tenant  at  will  at  the  cot 
tage.  All  the  money  she  had  inherited  from  her 
father's  estate,  and  all  she  had  in  the  world,  was 
invested  in  that  cottage.  The  mighty  major  could 
turn  them  out  of  house  and  home  at  a  moment's 
notice,  as  they  paid  no  rent. 

"  What  does  all  this  mean,  my  son  ?  I  am 
sorry  to  see  you  fighting  with  such  a  cur  as  that," 
said  Major  Billcord  when  the  battle  was  sus 
pended  for  the  moment. 

"  It  means  that  he  struck  me  first,  and  I  intend 
to  get  even  with  him  if  I  fight  till  Lake  Cham- 
plain  dries  up,"  blustered  Walk,  as  he  clinched 
his  fists  again  ;  and  doubtless  he  had  a  clear  idea 
of  his  father's  views  on  the  subject  of  pugilism. 

"  He  struck  first !     You  did  quite  right,  my  son. 


32  STEM  TO  STERN; 

Never  take  a  blow  from  any  one,"  added  the 
major. 

"But  he  insulted  my  sister,  sir!  lie  had  seized 
hold  of  her,  and  held  her  when  I  hit  him,  sir," 
pleaded  Paul  with  proper  deference  ;  and  he  felt 
that  he  had  a  good  defence. 

"A  fight  begins  with  the  first  blow,  and  we 
need  n't  ask  what  happened  before  it  was  struck. 
You  admit  that  you  struck  the  first  blow,  Bristol?" 
continued  Major  Billcord,  sitting  in  judgment  on 
the  case. 

"  I  did  strike  the  first  blow,  sir ;  and  a  fellow 
that  would  n't  hit  hard  when  his  sister  was  insulted, 
and  held  as  a  prisoner,  don't  amount  to  much,"  Paul 
replied  rather  warmly. 

"  You  struck  the  first  blow  ;  and  that  's  all  I 
want  to  hear  about  it,"  added  the  major  sharply. 
"My  son  has  done  quite  right  to  resent  a  blow 
with  another  blow ;  and  if  he  is  not  satisfied  with 
the  punishment  he  has  given  you,  you  vagabond, 
I  will  stand  by  and  see  fair  play  till  he  is  sat 
isfied." 

Mr.  Walker  did  not  quite  approve  the  ground 
taken  by  his  father,  and  wanted  him  to  do  some 
thing  more  than  stand  by  and  see  fair  play.  But 
the  major  had  spoken,  and  the  son  realized  that 


OR,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  33 

he  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  take  the  broad  hint 
the  patriarch  had  given  him.  Clinching  his  fists 
again,  he  rushed  upon  Paul  for  the  third  time. 
Paul  was  indignant  at  the  decision  of  the  magnate, 
and  felt  as  though  he  had  been  commanded  by  the 
great  man  to  permit  his  son  to  insult  his  sister. 

Walk  rushed  upon  him,  but  Paul's  back  was  up 
for  the  first  time  since  he  had  relieved  his  sister 
from  the  grasp  of  her  assailant.  His  paws  were 
not  velvet :  they  were  all  fangs.  At  the  first  on 
slaught  of  Walk,  that  young  gentleman  went  over 
on  his  back  with  the  blood  gushing  from  his  nos 
trils.  Twice  more  he  renewed  the  attack,  with 
about  the  same  result. 

Mr.  Walker  was  so  full  of  wrath  that  he  could 
no  longer  control  himself,  and  he  laid  hold  of  the 
stick  again.  Paul  picked  up  the  oar  once  more. 
The  son  of  toil  knocked  the  stick  out  of  the  hands 
of  his  opponent,  and  it  flew  into  the  lake.  Walk 
could  not  find  another,  and  Paul  dropped  the  oar. 
It  was  naked  fists  again,  with  the  same  effect  as 
before. 

By  this  time  Major  Billcord  was  as  full  of  wrath 
as  his  son,  and  without  regard  to  fair  play,  of 
which  he  stood  as  champion,  he  rushed  to  the  as 
sistance  of  his  defeated  son.  Paul  picked  up  the 
oar  and  retreated  before  the  two. 


34  STEM    TO    STERN. 

"  Stop  a  moment,  if  you  please,  Major  Billcord," 
shouted  Paul.  "  I  don't  want  to  hit  you  sir,  and 
I  won't  if  I  can  help  it." 

"  But  I  am  going  to  flog  you  within  an  inch  of 
your  life  !  "  yelled  the  major. 

Paul  had  gone  as  far  as  he  could  without  retreat 
ing  into  the  cottage,  and  he  was  unwilling  to  carry 
the  battle  into  the  presence  of  his  mother  and  sis 
ter.  He  halted  ;  the  major  wrenched  the  oar  from 
his  grasp.  He  struck  the  son  of  toil  with  it. 
Paul's  blood  was  up ;  he  gave  the  magnate  a  blow 
between  the  eyes,  under  which  he  went  down-. 
Walk  "  pitched  in  "  again,  and  was  planted  by  the 
side  of  his  father. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE   FINAL   MANDATE    OF   MAJOR   BILLCORD. 

"TV/TAJOR  BILLCORD  was  a  short,  puffy  man, 
"  inclined  to  corpulency.  The  blow  of  the 
son  of  toil,  and  his  fall  upon  the  sand,  proved  to 
be  enough  for  him.  He  was  all  foam  and  fury  in 
consequence  of  his  signal  defeat.  Possibly  he  had 
thought  that  a  poor  dependent  upon  his  bounty 
would  not  dare  to  strike  him ;  and,  in  truth,  Paul 
felt  that  it  was  something  like  treading  upon  the 
Bible. 

He  had  attempted  to  take  the  stalwart  youth  by 
the  collar,  and  had  struck  him  with  his  riding-whip 
in  a  tender  place.  The  pain  was  nothing,  but  the 
indignity  was  great ;  and  Paul's  impulse  had  led 
him  farther  than  he  would  have  gone  if  he  had 
considered  what  he  was  doing. 

The  major  and  his  son  picked  themselves  up, 
and  for  a  moment  they  gazed  with  something  like 
wonder  upon  the  victor  in  the  unequal  contest. 
But  all  three  of  them  had  been  beside  themselves 

35 


36  STFM    TO    STEHN; 

for  the  moment.  Paul  realized  what  he  had  done  ; 
and  so  did  his  mother  and  sister,  for  they  came 
out  of  the  cottage  while  father  and  son  were  get 
ting  up  from  the  ground. 

rt  Woman ,  do  you  see  what  your  son  has  done  ?  " 
demanded  Major  Billcord,  who  was  the  first  to 
break  the  impressive  silence. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  sir,"  pleaded  the  poor  woman, 
stepping  between  Paul  and  his  victims,  in  order  to 
prevent  him  from  doing  them  any  further  mischief 
if  he  should  be  disposed  to  renew  the  combat. 

"  Sorry  for  it !  "  exclaimed  the  magnate,  as  if 
simple  regret  could  atone  for  a  blow  given  by  a 
plebeian  to  a  patrician.  "Is  this  the  way  you 
bring  up  your  son?" 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  Major  Billcord,  but  he  has 
been  greatly  provoked.  By  your  leave,  sir,  it 
was  Mr.  Walker  that  began  it." 

"  It  is  false,  marm  !  Your  brute  of  a  son  struck 
the  first  blow  ;  he  has  confessed  it  to  me,"  puffed 
the  magnate. 

"  But  Mr.  Walker  had  first  insulted  my  daugh 
ter ;  he  had  seized  hold  of  her,  and  was  trying 
to  force  her  into  the  boat  when  Paul  interfered," 
Mrs.  Bristol  explained  with  as  much  meekness  as 
the  subject  would  permit. 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  37 

"Nonsense,  woman !  Seized  hold  of  your 
daughter  !  Don't  talk  such  stuff  to  me.  Walker 

O 

did  not  mean  to  do  her  any  harm,"  added  Major 
Billcord  with  the  utmost  contempt. 

"  I  only  asked  her  to  let  me  row  her  about  the 
bay  in  the  boat,"  the  young  gentleman  explained. 

"It  was  impertinent  in  her  to  refuse  when  iny 
son  honored  her  with  his  notice,"  continued  the 
major. 

"  I  thought  she  had  a  right  to  choose  her  own 
company,"  said  Mrs.  Bristol  with  proper  humil- 

ity. 

"I  have  allowed  you  to  live  on  my  land  for  two 
years  without  a  penny  of  rent,  woman ;  and  this 
is  the  return  I  get  for  it,"  replied  the  great  man, 
in  whose  heart  the  poor  woman's  ingratitude  was 
beginning  to  make  havoc. 

"  You  have  been  very  kind  to  us,  Major  Billcord, 
and  we  are  very  grateful  for  all  you  have  done  for 
us.  I  am  so  sorry  that  this  sad  thing  has  hap 
pened  !  "  pleaded  Mrs.  Bristol. 

"And  still  you  try  to  fasten  the  blame  on  my 
son,"  retorted  the  proprietor  of  Sandy  Point  and 
its  surroundings. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  he  meddled  with  Lily  ;  if  he 
had  n't  done  it,  there  would  have  been  no  trouble, 


38  STEM  TO  STERN; 

x 

for  Paul  has  always  treated  Mr.  Walker  with 
respect." 

"  At  it  again  !  "  exclaimed  the  major.  "  You  will 
insist  that  my  son  was  to  blame,  simply  because  he 
was  polite  enough  to  invite  your  daughter  to  take 
a  row  with  him  in  the  boat." 

"  She  was  not  willing  to  go  ;  and  I  did  n't  know 
that  she  was  obliged  to  go  out  on  the  lake  with 
him.  She  declined  his  invitation,  and  Mr.  Walker 
tried  to  force  her  into  the  boat." 

"  It  was  not  civil  in  her  to  decline  the  invitation, 
and  I  don't  wonder  that  Walker  was  a  little  vexed 
at  her  refusal.  She  is  a  pert  minx,  marm,  and 
has  not  been  well  brought  up,  or  she  would  have 
known  better  than  to  decline,"  added  the  magnate, 
bestowing  a  look  of  severity  upon  the  fair  maiden. 

Mrs.  Bristol  and  Paul  saw  that  it  was  useless  to 
attempt  to  reason  with  such  a  man,  and  they  were 
silent.  The  major  took  out  his  handkerchief,  and 
wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  face.  Then  he  felt 
of  his  nose  and  the  region  about  his  two  eyes,  be 
tween  which  the  son  of  toil  had  planted  his  hard 
fist.  Doubtless  there  was  a  soreness  in  those  parts, 
and  perhaps  the  visual  organs  of  the  father  would 
be  clothed  in  sable  wreaths  by  the  next  day. 

"  That  boy  must  be  punished,  severely  punished, 


OR,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  39 

for  what  he  has  done,"  the  major  resumed.  "  He 
has  had  the  audacity  to  strike  me  in  the  face, — me, 
the  benefactor  of  the  whole  family  !  " 

"  Did  n't  you  catch  me  by  the  throat,  and  hit  me 
with  your  riding- whip,  sir?"  asked  Paul  calmly 
and  meekly. 

"  What  if  I  did  !  Do  you  mean  to  put  yourself 
on  a  level  with  me,  you  young  reprobate?"  de 
manded  the  magnate,  his  wrath  beginning  to  boil 
again.  "  Woman,  I  say  that  boy  must  be  severely 
punished  for  this,"  he  continued,  turning  to  Mrs. 
Bristol  again.  "  He  must  be  whipped  till  he  can't 
stand  up  !  " 

"Who  will  whip  him,  sir?"  asked  the  poor 
woman  innocently. 

"I  will  do  it,  if  you  don't,  inarm,"  replied  the 
major  savagely. 

"  I  could  not  whip  him,  sir ;  he  is  a  great  deal 
stronger  than  I  am  ;  and,  if  he  is  whipped  at  all,  you 
must  do  it,  sir ;  "  but  Mrs.  Bristol  seemed  to  think 
there  was  something  a  little  satirical  in  what  she 
said. 

"Then  I  will  doit!"  said  the  magnate,  raising 
his  riding-whip. 

"  Perhaps  he  will  not  allow  you  to  whip  him, 
sir,"  suggested  Mrs.  Bristol ;  and  even  her  anger 
appeared  to  be  approaching  the  boiling-point. 


40  STEM   TO    STEPtN; 

tf  The  boy  deserves  to  be  severely  punished.  If 
he  submits  to  the  whipping  which  Walker  and  I 
will  give  him,  we  may  be  willing  to  let  the  matter 
drop  where  it  is." 

"You  had  better  arrange  it  with  Paul,  sir.  I 
should  as  soon  think  of  whipping  Colonel  Buckmill 
as  my  son,"  replied  the  poor  woman  with  a  de 
cided  touch  of  satire  in  her  tones  and  manner. 

"If  the  young  villain  submits,  very  well." 

"If  you  should  begin  to  punish  him,  I  have  no 
doubt  he  will  speak  or  act  for  himself,"  she  added. 

"  Bristol,  you  hear  what  has  been  said.  AVill  you 
submit  to  the  punishment  you  deserve  ?  "  demanded 
the  major  severely,  turning  to  the  culprit. 

"No,  sir,  I  will  not." 

"  Do  you  hear  him,  inarm?" 

"I  do,  sir;  and  he  answers  just  as  I  supposed 
he  would." 

t(  Then  you  uphold  him  in  his  treacherous  treat 
ment  of  my  son?  Then  you  countenance  him  in 
biting  the  hand  that  feeds  him  ?  " 

Mrs.  Bristol  made  no  reply,  for  she  did  not 
wish  to  irritate  the  powerful  man  unnecessarily. 
She  looked  at  her  son,  and  she  was  proud  of  him. 

"  Bristol,  you  refuse  to  submit  to  the  whipping 
you  deserve  ?  "  demanded  Major  Billcord,  approach- 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  41 

ing  the  stout  youth  with  the  riding-whip  up 
raised. 

"If  you  hit  me  with  that  whip,  sir,  I  will  knock 
you  as  far  beyond  the  middle  of  next  week  us  I 
can,"  replied  Paul  firmly  and  quietly.  "  Your  son 
insulted  my  sister,  and  I  treated  him  as  he  de 
served,  and  just  as  I  would  another  time  if  he  did 
the  same  thing.  My  sister  is  a  poor  girl,  but  she 
is  just  as  good  as  you  are,  and  just  as  good  as  Mr. 
Walker  is.  If  she  is  insulted,  sir,  I  will  stand  up 
against  five  hundred  Billcords  as  long  as  there  is 
anything  left  of  me." 

"  Is  this  your  gratitude  for  what  I  have  done  for 
the  family?"  asked  the  major,  knitting  his  brow 
into  a  knot  of  wrinkles. 

"Yes,  sir;  this  is  my  gratitude.  Do  you  think, 
because  you  allowed  my  father  to  put  his  cottage 
on  your  land,  that  you  and  your  son  have  the 
right  to  insult  my  sister?"  demanded  Paul  with 
considerable  energy. 

"  No  one  insulted  her,  you  young  reprobate  ! " 
interposed  the  father.  "  Is  a  civil  and  gentlemanly 
invitation  an  insult?" 

"  If  he  had  stopped  there,  we  should  have  had  no 
trouble." 

"  But  she  refused  the  invitation." 


42  STEM  TO   STERN; 

"  She  had  as  much  right  to  decline  it  as  any  lady 
in  Westport  would  have." 

"  Was  it  treating  a  member  of  my  family  pro 
perly,  after  all  I  have  done  for  you  ? "  demanded 
the  major  more  calmly,  hut  with  a  terrible  havoc 
in  his  tender  feelings. 

"  You  have  had  a  good  deal  to  say  about  what 
you  have  done  for  us,  Major  Billcord.  The  land 
on  which  that  cottage  stands,"  continued  Paul, 
pointing  to  it,  "is  not  worth  ten  dollars.  At  ten 
per  cent,  the  ground  rent  would  be  one  dollar  a 
year,  or  two  dollars  for  the  two  years  it  has  stood 
there.  I  have  done  work  enough  for  you  in  the 
shape  of  errands,  taking  care  of  your  boat,  and  in 
other  ways,  to  pay  for  the  land  twice  over.  I  have 
carried  the  first  black  bass  of  the  season  to  your 
house,  when  I  could  have  sold  the  fish  for  a  dollar 
apiece,  for  two  years.  As  I  look  at  the  question 
of  gratitude,  there  is  a  balance  of  at  least  twenty 
dollars  in  my  favor;  but  I  give  it  to  you  with  all 
my  heart,  and  I  don't  claim  the  privilege  of  in 
sulting  your  daughter  for  what  I  have  done." 

"You  are  a  glib-talking  puppy,  and  there  is  no 
more  reason  or  common  sense  in  you  than  there  is 
in  a  heifer  calf.  I  have  had  enough  of  you,  and  so 
has  my  son,"  responded  the  major,  choking  with 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  43 

wrath  over  the  unanswerable  argument  of  the  poor 
dependent. 

"If  you  have  had  enough  of  me,  you  and  Mr. 
Walker,  I  am  satisfied  to  let  the  matter  drop  where 
it  is  ;  but  if  Mr.  Walker,  or  any  other  student  of 
the  Chesterfield  Collegiate  Institute,  insults  my 
sister,  I  shall  hit  him  as  hard  as  I  can,"  replied 
Paul  coolly. 

"  Woman,  you  have  heard  the  insulting  words  of 
your  son,  and  you  uphold  him  in  his  wickedness. 
I  must  take  the  next  step.  I  will  not  have  such  a 
vile  reprobate  on  my  land.  I  will  not  have  you  or 
your  ungrateful  daughter  on  my  territory.  You 
are  a  tenant  at  will.  That  cottage  must  not  re 
main  another  day  on  my  premises.  Remove  it  at 
once.  If  it  is  here  at  three  o'clock  to-morrow  after 
noon,  I  will  give,  the  students  permission  to  tumble 
it  into  the  lake.  Do  you  hear  me,  woman?" 
stormed  the  major  fiercely. 

"I  hear  you,  sir,"  replied  Mrs.  Bristol,  covering 
her  face  with  her  handkerchief,  and  beginning  to 
weep  bitterly. 

"  You  need  n't  cry  about  it,  marm.  You  and  that 
graceless  son  of  yours  have  brought  it  on  your 
selves  ;  and  I  think  the  students  will  enjoy  the  fun 
of  pitching  the  shanty  into  the  lake." 


44  STEM   TO    STERN. 

"It  is  all  the  property  I  have  in  the  world, 
Major  Billcord,"  pleaded  the  poor  woman.  "  Give 
me  a  little  time  to  remove  the  cottage,  I  implore 
you  ! " 

"  Don't  implore  me,  marm  !  Thank  your  wretch 
of  a  son  for  it.  By  three  o'clock  to-morrow  after 
noon,  if  you  have  n't  removed  it  in  the  mean  time, 
the  shanty  shall  be  rolled  into  the  lake." 

"  I  cannot  get  it  through  the  woods  to  remove 
it,"  groaned  Mrs.  Bristol. 

tf  That 's  your  lookout,  marm,"  said  the  major  as 
he  and  AValk  departed. 

Mrs.  Bristol  seated  herself  on  the  lower  step  of 
the  cottage,  and  continued  to  weep  bitterly. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  ABSENCE  OF  THE  TRUANT  DRAGON. 

cottae  of  the  Bristols  had  been  framed  in 


Burlington,  and  brought  down  to  Sandy  Point 
on  a  schooner.  As  it  stood,  it  was  estimated  to  be 
worth  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  which 
was  the  cost  of  it  to  the  poor  woman  when  she 
invested  her  all  in  what  was  to  be  a  home  for  the 
family. 

It  was  a  small  sum  the  cottage  cost,  but  to  the 
poor  Avoman  it  was  as  big  as  a  million  to  a  million- 
naire.  She  had  been  Avell  brought  up  in  her  father's 
house,  and  she  could  not  exist  like  a  Chinaman  or 
a  Hottentot,  and  it  had  cost  the  family  a  struggle 
to  live  during  the  absence  of  the  father. 

Now  all  that  she  had  was  to  be  taken  from  her. 
As  they  had  paid  no  ground  rent  for  the  site,  the 
law  could  do  nothing  for  her.  She  was  a  tenant 
on  suff  ranee  rather  than  a  tenant  at  will,  and  had 
no  rights  whatever.  The  magnate  could  tumble 
the  cottage  into  the  lake,  and  the  wind  would  carry 

45 


46  STEM  TO  STERN; 

it  where  it  listed.  It  would  probably  be  broken 
up  on  the  rocks  or  shoals,  and  the  major  might  as 
well  set  it  on  fire  as  turn  it  adrift  on  the  lake. 

The  rich  man  intended  to  execute  his  mandate 
in  the  cruelest  manner  possible.  The  students 
were  to  have  a  frolic  in  tumbling  it  into  the  lake. 

O 

The  humble  structure  contained  all  their  household 
goods,  all  the  little  articles  they  valued  far  beyond 
the  money  they  cost.  It  was  hardly  possible  to 
remove  them  in  the  time  allowed  for  the  purpose, 
for  everything  would  have  to  be  carried  by  hand 
or  transported  in  the  flatboat. 

No  team  could  be  driven  down  to  the  point,  for 
the  major  would  not  allow  a  tree  to  be  felled  to 
make  a  road,  and  the  owner  had  been  compelled 
to  leave  his  saddle-horse  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  lake  when  he  visited  it.  Of  course,  the 
cruel  magnate  understood  all  this,  and  realized 
that  his  final  mandate  doomed  the  cottage  and  all 
it  contained  to  certain  destruction,  for  neither  he 
nor  his  persecuted  tenants  could  see  any  means 
of  relief. 

Even  if  they  could  carry  away  their  goods,  they 
had  no  place  to  put  them.  The  brief  period  of 
probation  given  them  was  not  more  than  enough  to 
enable  the  poor  woman  to  find  another  tenement. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  47 

It  was  two  miles  to  Westport,  and  five  to  Gen- 
verres,  by  water.  The  situation  looked  entirely 
hopeless  to  Mrs.  Bristol ;  and  the  more  she  thought 
of  it,  the  more  bitterly  she  wept. 

"I  don't  know  what  will  become  of  us,"  said  she 
when  she  had  vented  her  grief  for  a  time. 

"  Don't  cry,  mother :  we  shall  get  out  of  the 
scrape  in  some  way,"  replied  Paul  in  as  soothing 
tones  as  he  could  command,  for  the  situation  was 
hardly  more  hopeful  to  him  than  to  his  mother. 

"  I  don't  see  that  we  can  do  anything  but  submit 
to  the  loss  of  everything  we  have,"  moaned  Mrs. 
Bristol.  "  We  can't  stay  here  any  longer,  and  we 
have  no  place  to  go  to  in  the  wide  world.  The 
students  will  take  a  wicked  delight  in  breaking  up 
everything  we  have.  I  cannot  stay  here  to  see 
them  revel  in  the  destruction  of  our  home,  which 
has  been  as  dear  to  me  as  though  it  had  been  a 
palace.  But  where  can  I  go?" 

"We  had  better  go  to  Westport,  mother,"  said 
Lily,  wiping  the  tears  from  her  eyes.  "  We  can 
take  a  few  things  with  us  in  the  boat." 

"  The  boat  Avent  adrift  in  the  row,  and  I  saw  it 
halfway  over  to  Scotch  Bonnet,"  interposed  Paul 
as  he  strained  his  eyes  to  discover  the  truant  craft. 

"  Then  we  can  walk  over  to  Westport ;  but  we 


48  STEM   TO    STERN; 

can't  carry  much  of  anything  in  our  hands  in  a 
walk  of  two  miles,"  added  Lily  gloomily. 

"Where  shall  we  go  in  Westport  when  we  get 
there?"  asked  Mrs.  Bristol.  "We  can't  go  to  a 
hotel  or  boarding-house,  for  we  have  n't  money 
enough  to  pay  our  wa}'  for  three  days." 

"I  don't  see  that  wTe  can  do  a  thing,  mother," 
said  Paul  when  he  had  carefully  looked  over  the 
situation.  "I  would  borrow  a  boat,  if  there  was 
one  to  be  had  ;  but  I  am  sure  the  institute  boatman 
would  not  lend  me  one  now.  Major  Biilcord's 
story  will  be  all  over  the  neighborhood  in  a  few 
hours.  I  could  get  one  in  Westport ;  but  it  might 
take  me  a  whole  day  to  find  our  flatboat,  for  it 
must  have  been  driven  ashore  on  the  other  side 
of  the  lake.  Some  vessel  may  have  picked  it 
up,  for  I  saw  two  or  three  going  up  the  lake." 

"  I  saw  a  sailboat  go  by  while  you  were  talking 
to  the  major,"  said  Lily. 

"I  noticed  her;  it  was  one  of  the  Beech  Hill 
boats,"  added  Paul.  "  One  of  these  vessels  may 
have  picked  up  the  '  Dragon,' "  as  he  had  named 
the  flatboat,  "  and  it  may  be  five  miles  from  here 
by  this  time." 

"  We  are  in  the  hands  of  Providence,  and  as 
helpless  as  babies,"  continued  Mrs.  Bristol.  ftl 


OR,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  49 

don't  see  that  we  can  do  a  single  thing  for  our 
selves,  and  we  must  trust  in  a  higher  power  than 
man." 

"We  can  stay  in  the  cottage  over  night,  at  least, 
and  it  will  he  our  last  in  our  happy  home,"  said 
Paul.  "The  students  will  all  be  at  their  studies 
in  the  forenoon,  and  then  you  and  Lily  can  walk 
over  to  Westport." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do,  Paul  ?  "  inquired  his 
mother,  bestowing  a  look  of  the  deepest  interest 
upon  him. 

"I  shall  stay  here  and  save  what  I  can." 

"  You  must  not  stay  here  ! "  protested  his  mother 
warmly.  "The  students  will  kill  you,  under  the 
lead  of  Walker  Billcord." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  them." 

"You  must  not  stay  here:  if  you  do,  I  shall 
stay  with  you,"  replied  the  devoted  mother. 

"There  is  that  sailboat,  Paul,"  said  Lily,  who 
had  been  gazing  blankly  out  upon  the  lake.  "  She 
looks  as  though  she  whs  headed  for  the  point." 

"  That 's  the  '  Goldwing,' "  added  Paul.  "  I  hope 
Dory  Dornwood  is  on  board  of  her.  lie  is  a  good 
fellow7,  and  he  may  do  something  to  help  us.  If 
she  comes  near  enough,  I  will  hail  her." 

O       ' 

"But  Dory  Dornwood  will  not  do  anything  for 


50  STEM  TO  STERN; 

any  one  on  this  side  of  the  lake,"  replied  Mrs. 
Bristol.  "  The  two  schools  have  waged  the  fier 
cest  war  upon  each  other." 

"I  know  Dory  Dornwood  very  well,  mother*  I 
had  a  long  talk  with  him  about  the  war  between 
the  schools,  and  I  know  that  the  Beech-Hillers 
have  done  all  they  could  to  keep  out  of  trouble 
with  the  Chesterfields.  I  am  sure  he  will  do  any 
thing  he  can  for  us.  He  don't  like  Major  Billcord 
any  better  than  I  do  at  this  moment,  for  he  had  a 
row  with  him  when  he  was  a  waiter  on  a  steamer." 

"  I  don't  see  that  he  can  do  anything  for  us,  even 
if  he  does  come  near  enough  for  you  to  hail  him," 
added  Mrs.  Bristol,  hardly  less  despondent  than 
before. 

"  He  can  take  some  of  our  things  on  board  his 
boat,  and  carry  them  to  a  place  where  they  will  be 
safe  until  we  want  them  again." 

Paul  was  quite  hopeful  that  something  would 
come  of  the  visit  of  the  "  Goldwing  "  to  the  point, 
if  she  came  there.  Without  stopping  to  argue 
the  possibilities  with  his  mother,  he  hastened  to 
the  shore.  The  "Goldwing"  was  headed  down  the 
*lake,  and,  with  all  sail  set,  she  was  dashing  over 
the  waves  at  a  tremendous  high  speed.  She  was 
towing  a  small  boat  astern  of  her,  but  Paul  could 


OK,   BTJILDI^ft   THE   BOAT.  51 

not  tell  whether  it  was  the  "  Dragon  "  or  her  usual 
tender. 

The  wind  was  exactly  west,  and  the  schooner 
was  going  free.  When  Paul  saw  her  before,  she 
was  on  the  easterly  side  of  the  lake,  where  she  got 
a  better  breeze  than  on  the  opposite  side.  He 
was  satisfied  that  she  headed  for  the  vicinity  of  the 
point ;  for  she  would  have  started  her  sheets  when 
she  came  up  with  Scotch  Bonnet,  if  she  had  been 
bound  directly  down  the  lake. 

Though  she  was  approaching  the  point,  it  was 
by  no  means  certain  that  she  intended  to  make  a 
landing  there.  The  boat  she  was  towing  was 
astern  of  her,  and  Paul  could  not  see  it  plainly, .as 
the  hull  of  the  yacht  obstructed  his  view.  As  on 
all  occasions,  he  determined  to  do  the  best  he 
could.  Running  back  to  the  house,  he  borrowed 
a  tablecloth  of  reddish  hue,  and  fastened  it  to  the 
oar.  Elevating  it  as  a  signal  to  the  "  Goldwing,"  he 
held  it  in  position  at  the  very  apex  of  the  point. 

Lily  and  her  mother  were  not  inclined  to  join 
him,  for  they  did  not  feel  in 'the  mood  to  meet  any 
young  men,  however  civil  they  might  be.  They 
remained  seated  on  the  steps  of  the  cottage ;  but 
they  watched  the  sails  of  the  yacht  with  as  deep 
an  interest  as  Paul  did,  for  it  was  at  least  possible 


52  STEM  TO  STERN; 

that  the  party  on  board  of  her  might  help  them  in 
their  present  dire  emergency. 

"  She  is  headed  for  the  point !  "  shouted  Paul, 
when  he  had  satisfied  himself  of  the  fact. 

"I  pray  that  a  kind  Providence  has  sent  her  to 
our  relief,"  replied  Mrs.  Bristol. 

Paid  watched  her  with  the  most  intense  interest. 
When  the  "Goldwing"  was  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  point,  the  party  on  board  of  her  waved 
their  handkerchiefs  as  a  reply  to  Paul's  signal. 
The  hopes  of  the  watcher  on  the  shore  ran  high, 
but  he  could  not  yet  see  whether  or  not  she  had 
the  "  Dragon  "  in  tow. 

Sandy  Point  was  a  kind  of  double  cape.  It  was 
shaped  like  a  letter  T.  The  cottage  was  on  the 
northeast  point,  inside  of  which  was  Sandy  Bay, 
where  the  Beech  Hill  students  sometimes  came  to 
bathe.  The  other  arm  of  the  point  extended  to 

* 

the  southwest,  and  inside  of  it  was  the  station  of 
the  boats  belonging  to  the  institute. 

"Is  that  you,  Paul  Bristol?"  shouted  some  one 
on  board  of  the  "Goldwing." 

"  Yes  !  Is  Dory  Dorn wood  on  board  ? "  replied 
Paul. 

"  He  is  !  Have  you  lost  a  flatboat?"  called  the 
speaker  from  the  yacht. 


OK,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  53 

"I  have!" 

The  schooner  kept  well  off  the  point,  and  ap 
peared  now  to  be  headed  for  the  shore  on  the 
opposite  side  of  Sandy  Point.  As  she  came 
abreast  of  the  shore,  Paul  saw  that  she  had  the 
r"  Dragon  "  and  her  tender  in  tow.  The  return  of  the 
"  Dragon  "  was  a  godsend,  even  if  nothing  else  re 
sulted  from  the  visit  of  the  yacht.  The  "  Gold- 
•w  ing  "ran  over  towards  the  opposite  shore,  and 
then  tacked.  The  wind  was  light  inside  of  the  bay, 
and  the  schooner  circled  gracefully  about,  coming 
up  into  the  wind  off  the  point  where  Paul  stood. 
Down  went  her  jib  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and 
over  went  her  anchor.  In  a  moment  she  had  come 
up  to  her  cable,  with  her  mainsail  fluttering  in  the 
breeze. 

One  of  the  party  hauled  up  the  "Dragon,"  and, 
casting  off  the  painter,  sculled  her  ashore  with  the 
single  oar  that  remained  on  board  of  her. 

"  This  is  your  boat,  I  suppose,"  said  Tucker 
Prince,  one  of  the  new  students  of  the  Beech  Hill 
Industrial  School,  as  he  stepped  on  shore  with  the 
painter  in  his  hand. 

"  It  is  my  boat,  and  I  owe  you  a  thousand 
thanks  for  bringing  her  back  to  me,"  replied  Paul. 

"  The  skipper  wants  to  know  if  any  accident  has 


54  STEM   TO   STERN. 

happened  by  which  she  was  turned  adrift,"  con 
tinued  Tuck  Prince,  whom  the  New-Yorkers  called 
a  "  Bosting  boy." 

"No  accident;  but  who  is  the  skipper?" 

"  Dory  Dornwood." 

"  I  would  give  more  to  see  him  than  I  would  to 
meet  my  grandmother,"  added  Paul. 

In  a  few  moments  more  Paul  Bristol  had  Dory 
by  the  hand. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  "GOLDWING"  AT  SANDY  POINT. 

ITvORY  DORXWOOD  had  been  to  the  point 
before,  and  had  met  Paul  Bristol  there.  Of 
course,  the  son  of  toil  had  never  associated  with 
the  Chesterfields  on  anything  like  an  equality,  and 
he  had  no  especial  interest  in  them  or  their  aifairs. 
In  the  quarrels  between  the  two  schools  he  had 
been  entirely  neutral,  for  the  reason  that  he  had  not 
been  called  upon  to  take  part  in  any  of  the  battles, 
and  his  opinion  of  the  merits  of  either  side  was  of 
no  consequence.. 

Dory  gave  the  resident  of  the  point  his  hand,  as 
he  came  on  board  of  the  "  Goldwing,"  and  was  glad 
to  see  him.  Possibly  the  skipper  was  willing  to 
have  a  friend  in  this  particular  locality,  though  he 
knew  that  Paul  had  no  influence  with  the  gentle 
manly  students  of  the  institute. 

"  I  picked  up  your  boat  over  by  Scotch  Bonnet," 
said  Dory.  "  It  was  just  going  on  the  rocks,  and 
I  thought  it  would  have  a  hard  time  there.  I 

55 


56  STEM   TO    STERN; 

knew  from  the  direction  of  the  wind  that  it  must 
have  come  from  this  region,  and  I  was  afraid  some 
one  had  been  upset  in  her,  for  there  was  only  one 
oar  in  the  boat." 

"  Xo  one  Avas  upset  in  her,  though  the  '  Dragon  ' 
is  not  inclined  to  stay  right  side  up  when  the  sea 
is  heavy,"  replied  Paul.  "I  am  more  thankful  to 
you  than  I  can  tell  for  bringing  her  back  at  just 
this  time.  If  you  are  willing  to  hear  me,  I  should 
like  to  tell  you  how  she  happened  to  get  adrift, 
and  why  I  am  so  glad  to  get  her  back." 

"  I  am  in  no  hurry,  and  I  am  ready  to  hear  any 
thing  you  wish  to  say  to  me,"  replied  Dory,  as 
he  invited  Paul  to  take  a  seat  in  the  standin- 


There  were  five  other  Beech  Hill  students  in  the 
boat,  and  they  seemed  to  be  as  willing  to  hear  the 
story  as  the  skipper  was.  All  of  them  judged  by 
the  manner  of  the  Sandy-Pointer  that  he  had 
something  of  interest  and  importance  to  tell.  Paul 
gave  his  account  of  the  trouble  between  Lily  and 
Walk  Billcord  without  exaggeration  or  embellish 
ment,  though  he  did  not  do  justice,  in  his  modesty, 
to  his  own  prowess  in  the  battles  with  the  magnate 
and  his  son. 

The  narrative  was  excitins:  enough  to  secure  the 


OK,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  57 

closest  attention  of  his  auditors ;  and,  when  it  was 
finished,  all  of  them  had  some  questions  to  ask, 
and  most  of  them  some  comments  to  make.  As 
they  were  not  prejudiced  in  favor  of  the  major  or 
his  son,  they  agreed  that  the  son  of  toil  had  served 
them  right.  Dory  said  he  should  have  been  very 
sorry  to  strike  a  man  of  the  age  of  Major  Bill- 
cord,  but  he  did  not  see  how  he  could  have  helped 
doing  so  under  the  circumstances. 

"  And  he  has  ordered  you  to  remove  the  cottage 
at  less  than  a  day's  notice  ? "  continued  the  skip 
per. 

"  He  has,  and  at  a  time  when  my  boat  had  gone 
adrift,  and  I  had  no  way  to  move  a  single  thing 
which  we  could  not  carry  two  miles  in  our  hands. 
That  is  the  reason  why  I  was  so  glad  to  see  the 
'Dragon'  coming  back  to  the  point,"  replied  Paul, 
looking  at  the  skipper  of  the  "  Goldwing"  with  the 
deepest  interest.  "  But  the  water  is  rather  rough 
this  afternoon  out  on  the  lake,  and  I  am  afraid  I 
can't  do  much  towards  moving  my  mother  and 
sister  and  all  the  furniture  in  that  flatboat." 

"  Then  you  mean  to  leave  the  cottage  to  be 
pitched  into  the  lake?"  added  Dory. 

"I  don't  see  that  we  can  do  anything  else," 
replied  Paul  blankly.  "It  is  about  a  quarter  of  a 


58  STEM  TO  STERN; 

mile  through  the  woods  to  the  road,  and  Major 
Billcord  will  not  allow  a  tree  to  be  cut  down.  I 
could  not  move  it  if  I  had  a  hundred  men  to  help 
me.  I  might  take  it  to  pieces,  if.I  had  time  enough 
to  do  the  job ;  but  we  have  little  time,  and  not 
much  money." 

"  Suppose  we  go  on  shore  and  take  a  look  at  the 
cottage,"  suggested  Dory,  who  seemed  to  be  doing 
some  heavy  thinking,  though  he  did  not  hint  that 
he  knew  of  any  remedy  for  the  misfortunes  of  the 
Bristols.  The  tender  was  brought  up  to  the  gang 
way,  and  Dory  went  ashore  in  it,  accompanied  by 
Tuck  Prince,  while  Paul  took  the  "  Dragon  "  back. 

The  skipper  walked  up  to  the  cottage,  and  Paul 
introduced  him  to  his  mother  and  sister.  Dory 
had  never  seen  Lily  Bristol  before,  but  he  was 
perfectly  willing  to  agree  with  the  "  speech  of  peo 
ple,"  that  she  was  the  prettiest  girl  in  the  State  of 
New  York,  and  possibly  in  the  State  of  Vermont. 
But  she  looked  very  sad,  and  so  did  her  mother, 
nnd  Dory  said  nothing  to  them  about  the  mandate 
of  the  magnate. 

•The  visitor  looked  at  the  house,  and  got  its  ap 
proximate  dimensions  in  his  mind.  He  examined 
the  foundations  of  the  structure,  and  the  land  upon 
which  it  lay.  He  was  thinking,  but  he  said  noth 
ing. 


OK,    BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  59 

"  Of  course,  Major  Billcord  knows  very  well  that 
we  cannot  move  the  cottage  without  making  a 
pathway  for  it  through  the  grove,"  said  Paul,  who 
had  observed  the  expression  on  Dory's  face  with 
the  utmost  interest. 

But  he  had  not  expected  that  the  skipper  of 
the  "  Goldwing  "  could  do  anything  about  moving 
the  dwelling  :  the  most  he  had  hoped  was  that  the 
visitor  would  volunteer  to  assist  in  the  transporta 
tion  of  the  furniture,  or  a  portion  of  it,  to  some 
safe  place,  if  such  could  be  found.  But  Dory  was 
provokingly  silent,  and  did  not  hint  at  anything. 
When  he  had  completed  his  examination  of  the 
premises,  he  walked  towards  the  end  of  the  point 
again. 

"I  suppose,  you  will  agree  with  me  that  not  a 
thing  can  be  done,"  said  Paul  as  he  followed  the 
skipper;  and  he  began  to  be  very  much  discour 
aged  at  the  prospect. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  anything  can  be  done 
or  not,"  replied  Dory,  musing.  "I  can't  do  any 
thing  myself,  for  I  don't  feel  at  liberty  to  act 
without  the  knowledge  of  my  uncle,  Captain 
Gildrock,"  replied  Dory.  "If  you  could  move  the 
cottage,  have  you  5>ny  other  place  to  put  it?  " 

"Not  a  place.     My  mother  owns  a  house,  but 


60  STEM  TO   STERN; 

not  a  foot  of  land  in  the  wide  universe,"  answered 
Paul  gloomily. 

"It  is  not  very  easy  to  think  of  any  plan  for 
moving  the  building  when  we  have  n't  any  idea  of 
what  is  to  be  done  with  it,"  added  Dory,  survey 
ing  with  his  eye  the  ground  between  the  cottage 
and  the  water  of  the  lake. 

"  I  did  n't  suppose  you  could  do  anything  for 
us  in  that  way,"  continued  Paul.  "I  thought  we 
might  save  some  of  our  furniture  in  the  '  Dragon.'  " 

"You  could  n't  even  get  a  bureau  on  board  of 
her,"  replied  Dory,  glancing  at  the  flatboat.  "If 
you  laid  it  across  the  gunwales,  it  would  upset 
her.  But  I  have  an  idea,  though  it  may  not 
amount  to  much.  What  are  your  mother  and 
sister  going  to  do?  I  take  it  they  will  not  stay 
here  to  see  the  Chesterfields  destroy  your  cottage 
and  its  contents  ?  " 

"  No  ;  they  will  leave  in  the  morning  ;  but  there 
is  no  place  under  the  sun  for  them  to  go.  We 
have  no  relations,  and  hardly  any  friends,"  an 
swered  Paul  very  sadly. 

"  As  I  said  before,  I  can't  do  anything  without 
orders  in  a  case  like  this.  I  am  very  sorry  for 
you.  If  the  situation  were  what  my  uncle  defines 
as  an  emergency,  I  should  be  permitted  to  do  what 


OR,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  61 

is  required  to  save  life  or  property.  But  there  is 
nearly  a  whole  day's  leeway  in  this  case,"  con 
tinued  the  skipper. 

"I  did  n't  know  but  you  might  carry  some  of  our 
things  over  to  the  other  side  in  the  'Goldwing,' 
Paul  hinted  very  timidly. 

"  I  might  be  able  to  take  some  of  them ;  but 
the  schooner  would  not  hold  one-half  of  the  goods. 
I  hope  to  do  something  better  than  that,  though 
I  can't  promise  anything.  So  far  as  the  furni 
ture  is  concerned,  I  don't  think  you  need  to  worry 
about  that,  for  there  will  be  time  enough  to  re 
move  it  to-morrow  morning,"  said  Dory. 

"  Plenty  of  time,  if  I  have  any  help,"  added 
Paul. 

Dory  hoped  he  should  be  able  to  do  something 
better  than  this ;  and  the  words  had  given  Paul  a 
strong  hope,  though  he  wished  the  skipper  would 
speak  out  plainly,  and  say  what  he  thought  of 
doing. 

"It  is  now  about  five  o'clock,"  continued  Dory, 
looking  at  his  watch.  "  We  have  plenty  of  time, 
and  I  have  something  to  propose.  I  can't  do  any 
thing  without  my  uncle's  knowledge,  but  I  should 
like  to  have  your  mother  and  sister  go  over  to 
Beech  Hill  in  the  'Goldwing ; '  and  you  too,  Paul, 


62  STEM   TO   STERN; 

if  you  don't  think  it  necessary  to  remain  here  and 
look  out  for  the  cottage." 

"What  should  they  go  over  therefor?"  asked 
the  son  of  toil. 

"To  tell  my  uncle  your  story.  If  Captain  Gild- 
rock  decides  that  nothing  can  be  done  for  you,  I 
will  bring  your  mother  and  sister  back  before 
dark.  Then  I  will  take  a  cargo  of  your  goods  to 
any  place  you  say  in  this  part  of  the  lake.  That 
is  all  I  feel  at  liberty  to  do  under  the  present  cir 
cumstances,"  added  Dory.  "  But  I  am  pretty  sure 
that  something  more  will  be  done  for  you." 

"I  will  speak  to  my  mother  about  it,"  replied 
Paul.  "  Will  you  come  with  me,  Dory?" 

The  skipper  followed  him  to  the  cottage,  and 
Paul  stated  the  case  to  his  mother.  She  was  will 
ing  to  do  anything  her  son  thought  best.  She  did 
not  think  it  was  necessary  for  Lily  to  go  if  Paul 
was  to  remain  in  charge  of  the  house ;  but  Dory 
thought  she  was  a  part  of  the  story,  and  antici 
pated  some  hard  questions  from  his  uncle  which  she 
could  answer  better  than  any  other  person.  Mrs. 
Bristol  yielded  the  point,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they 
were  ready  for  the  trip. 

The  ladies  were  seated  in  the  standing-room,  and 
the  Beech-IIillers  were  as  polite  as  so  many  dan- 


OR,   BUILDING  THE  BOAT.  63 

cing-masters,  "  tinkers "  though  they  were.  A 
short  distance  from  the  shore  the  wind  was  still 
fresh  ;  and  in  half  an  hour  the  "  Gold  wing"  was  in 
Beech  water,  as  the  principal  of  the  school  generally 
called  the  lake. 

Without  waiting  to  moor  the  schooner,  which  ho 
left  in  charge  of  Tuck  Prince,  Dory  pulled  the 
ladies  to  the  new  boat-house  in  the  tender.  They 
landed  at  the  steps,  and  the  skipper  conducted  them 
to  Captain  Gildrock's  library.  They  were  pleas 
antly  welcomed  by  the  principal,  though  they  were 
entire  strangers  to  him. 

Dory  stated  that  he  had  brought  Mrs.  Bristol  and 
Miss  Lily  from  Sandy  Point,  and  he  wished  his 
uncle  to  hear  the  story  they  had  to  tell.  He  hinted 
that  the  visitors  had  better  confine  themselves  to 
the  facts  in  the  case,  without  any  comments  ;  and, 
as  Lily  had  been  the  principal  and  first  actor  in  the 
drama,  he  thought  she  had  better  open  the  narra 
tive. 

Possibly  Dory  thought  an  account  of  the  open 
ing  proceedings  from  the  lips  of  so  pretty  a  girl  as 
Lily  might  have  more  influence  with  his  bachelor 
uncle.  The  captain  smiled  graciously,  and  bowed 
encouragingly  to  the  fair  maiden.  She  began  in  a 
very  straightforward  way  with  the  narrative,  and 


64  STEM   TO   STERN. 

Dory  was  glad  the  occasion  permitted  him  to  gaze 
at  her  without  staring. 

"When  she  had  completed  her  narrative,  there  was 
but  little  more  for  her  mother  to  say.  The  prin 
cipal  asked  a  few  questions,  and  then  he  was  in 
possession  of  all  the  facts.  He  knew  all  about 
Major  Billcord,  and  he  had  no  difficulty  in  believ 
ing  the  simple  and  unadorned  statement  to  which 
he  had  listened.  Very  likely  he  was  as  indignant 
as  any  Christian  man  would  have  been  at  the  out 
rage  of  the  magnate  and  his  son,  but  he  did  not 
express  himself  in  this  direction. 

"When  Mrs.  Bristol  and  Lily  had  said  all  they 
had  to  say,  the  captain  looked  at  Dory  to  see  if  he 
had  anything  to  offer.  Dory  was  not  slow  to  take 
a  hint,  and  he  made  quite  an  energetic  speech  of 
considerable  length,  setting  forth  his  views  of  the 

• 

situation. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  CALL  FOIl  ALL  HANDS  AT  BEECH  HILL. 

T  AM  very  sorry,  Mrs.  Bristol,  that  you  should 
have  been  placed  in  such  an  unpleasant  situa 
tion,"  said  Captain  Gildrock  when  Dory  had 
brought  his  speech  to  a  square  conclusion,  which 
some  orators  find  it  very  difficult  to  do.  !<  Your 
son  did  no  more  than  I  would  have  done  in  the 
same  circumstances.  It  was  highly  proper  for  him 
to  defend  his  sister  with  his  fists ;  and  after  that 
he  acted  only  on  the  defensive." 

"  I  was  very  well  satisfied  with  Paul,  sir,"  added 
Mrs.  Bristol. 

"  I  think  you  have  reason  to  be.  You  have 
heard  what  my  nephew  has  said,  and  I  fully  in 
dorse  the  plan  he  has  outlined.  I  shall  leave  it  to 
him  to  carry  it  out  in  his  own  way." 

"You  are  very  kind,  Captain  Gildrock,  and  I 
shall  be  grateful  to  you  as  long  as  I  live,"  replied 
Mrs.  Bristol,  with  enthusiasm.  "Paul  says  your 
students  were  always  much  better  behaved  than 
those  of  the  institute.0 

65 


66  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"  Unfortunately  our  relations  with  the  school  on 
the  other  side  of  the  lake  are  not  as  pleasant  as  I 
could  wish  ;  but  I  do  not  intend  that  our  young 
men  shall  be  offensive  to  their  neighbors." 

"  The  Goldwing  is  all  ready  to  take  you  back  to 
Sandy  Point,  Mrs.  Bristol,"  Dory  interposed. 

"  But  why  should  you  return,  madam  ?  "  said  the 
principal.  "I  think  you  had  better  remain  here. 
We  have  plenty  of  spare  rooms,  and  we  will  do  all 
we  can  to  make  you  comfortable." 

"Thank  you,  sir;  but  I  am  afraid  Paul  will  be 
uneasy  in  my  longer  absence." 

"  Dory  shall  run  over  to  Sandy  Point,  and 
inform  your  son  what  is  to  be  done,  and  can  bring 
you  anything  you  may  want,"  suggested  Captain 
Gildrock. 

The  principal  gave  some  strong  reasons  why  she 
and  Lily  had  better  remain  at  the  mansion  over 
night,  and  she  finally  consented  to  do  so.  Mrs. 
Dornwood  and  Marian,  Dory's  mother  and  sister, 
were  called,  and  they  soon  made  the  visitors  feel 
quite  at  home.  Dory  returned  to  the  Goldwing, 
and  was  soon  standing  out  of  Beechwater. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  the  schooner  was  at 
the  point.  Paul  was  greatly  astonished,  and  not 
a  little  troubled,  when  he  saw  that  his  mother  and 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  67 

sister  were  not  on  board  of  her.  But  the  skipper 
soon  explained  their  absence,  and  stated  what  was 
to  be  done  with  the  permission  of  his  uncle.  Paul 
went  to  the  cottage  for  a  few  articles  which  his 
mother  had  desired,  in  a  note,  while  the  skipper 
looked  over  the  situation  of  the  cottage  again,  and 
arranged  his  plans  for  action. 

"  We  shall  disappoint  the  Chesterfields  once 
more,  Paul,"  said  Dory,  when  the  son  of  toil 
joined  him.  "We  have  spoiled  some  of  their  little 
arrangements  before." 

"  They  will  miss  the  fun  the  major  has  promised 
them,  but  I  think  he  will  feel  the  loss  of  it  more 
than  they  will.  Of  course,  all  he  wants  is  to 
punish  us,"  replied  Paul,  with  a  cheerful  smile. 

"You  can  go  over  to  Beech  Hill  with  me  if  you 
like,"  continued  Dory,  when  they  reached  the 
tender. 

"  I  must  stay  here  and  watch  the  cottage.  Some 
of  the  students  might  think  it  was  fun  to  set  it  on 
fire  to-night,  though  it  would  not  make  a  very 
brilliant  light  in  the  moonshine,"  replied  Paul. 

"  Do  you  expect  any  of  the  Chesterfields  at  the 
point  to-night,  Paul?"  asked  Dory  with  some 
anxiety,  for  their  presence  might  interfere  with  his 
plan. 


68  STEM   TO    STERN  ; 

"  No :  I  hardly  expect  imy  of  them.  I  don't 
know  that  Major  Billcord  has  told  them  about  the 
fun  in  store  for  them  yet,  though  he  was  so  mad 
when  he  left  the  point  that  he  could  hardly  keep 
it  in,"  answered  Paul. 

"  Well,  if  they  come  to-night,  we  can't  help  it," 
added  Dory,  as  he  stepped  into  the  tender.  "  We 
shall  be  here  all  the  same,  and  we  shall  do  the 
work  we  have  laid  out." 

The  Goldwing  got  up  her  anchor,  and  filled 
away.  Paul  watched  her  till  she  disappeared  in 
Beaver  River.  The  situation  had  changed  entirely, 
and  Paul  was  as  happy  as  though  there  had  been 
no  tempest  at  the  point  that  day.  His  mother  and 
sister  were  in  good  quarters,  and  he  did  not  much 
care  if  the  Chesterfields  came  down  upon  him  in 
full  force.  As  soon  as  the  schooner  was  out  of 
sight  he  Avent  into  the  house  to  get  his  supper. 

As  soon  as  the  Goldwing  was  moored,  and  her 
crew  had  eaten  their  supper,  there  was  a  call  for 
all  hands  to  assemble  at  the  new  boat-house.  The 
famous  structure  had  been  finished  nearly  a  year 
before,  for  it  was  in  the  month  of  May  that  the 
trouble  at  Sandy  Point  took  place.  The  school 
year  began  in  the  September  preceding. 

After  considering  the  subject  during  the  sum- 


OK,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  69 

mer,  Captain  Gildrock  had  decided  to  increase  the 
number  of  pupils  in  the  Beech  Hill  Industrial 
School.  But  he  was  a  prudent  and  practical  man, 
and  he  had  taken  only  a  dozen  additional  scholars. 
Two  had  left  to  take  good-paying  situations,  and 
the  whole  number  now  was  thirty-six.  There  was 
room  in  the  enlarged  dormitory  for  a  dozen  more, 
and  space  enough  for  them  at  the  benches  in  the 
shops. 

A  third  class  had  been  formed  of  the  beginners  ; 
and,  as  they  had  been  under  instruction  for  eight 
months,  some  of  them  had  acquired  considerable 
skill  in  the  use  of  tools.  Another  barge  had  been 
procured,  and  the  "green  hands  "had  all  learned 
to  row,  to  swim,  and  a  few  of  them  to  handle  a 
sailboat.  The  school  was  now  larger  than  the  one 
on  the  other  side  of  the  lake.  But  the  Chester 
fields,  after  having  been  defeated  several  times  in 
their  assaults  upon  the  Beech  Killers,  had  confined 
their  attention  more  to  their  own  affairs  than 
formerly.  They  were  satisfied  to  give  the  barges 
of  the  "  tinkers  "  a  wide  berth  on  the  lake  ;  and  the 
boating  season  closed  without  any  more  serious 
quarrels  on  the  water. 

The  Topovers  had  never  accomplished  anything 
by  meddling  with  the  students  on  their  side  of  the 


70  STEM    TO   STERN; 

lake.  A  little  discipline  in  one  of  the  courts  had 
kept  them  at  a  distance  for  a  time.  When  the 
fruit  was  ripe,  Mr.  Brookbine's  big  dog  became  a 
terror  to  them  ;  for  the  master  carpenter  had  built 
a  house  for  him  near  the  rear  fence  of  the  orchard, 
and  the  animal  understood  his  duty  perfectly. 

The  call  for  the  students  after  supper  was  un 
usual,  and  no  one  but  the  members  of  the  acting 
crew  of  the  yacht  knew  what  it  meant ;  and  even 
they  knew  nothing  of  the  plan  they  were  to  assist 
in  carrying  out.  Since  the  former  season  there 
had  been  some  changes  in  the  organization  of 
the  students.  Captain  Gildrock  was  no  longer 
the  actual  captain  of  the  Sylph,  the  beautiful 
steam  yacht  connected  with  the  institution. 

The  position  had  been  given  to  Dory  Dorn wood, 
and  the  students  generally  sailed  her  without  the 
interference  of  the  principal  or  any  of  the  in 
structors.  Mr.  Jepson,  the  master-machinist,  was 
no  longer  the  chief  engineer,  and  was  therefore  at 
no  time  under  the  orders  of  any  of  the  juvenile 
officers.  Corny  Minkfield,  w?ho  had  served  one 
season  as  first  assistant-engineer,  had  been  prq- 
moted  to  the  highest  place,  and  the  second  to  the 
place  thus  made  vacant. 

Oscar  Chester  was  the  first  pilot.     He,  had  been 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  71 

a  diligent  student  in  the  pilot-house,  and  knew 
the  hike  almost  as  well  as  the  captain.  All  the 
places  had  been  filled  after  the  first  appointments 
in  accordance  with  the  merits  of  the  students, 
though  of  necessity  "  civil  service"  rules  prevailed, 
for  the  reason  that  the  members  of  the  ship's  com 
pany  had  become  more  skilful  in  the  departments 
in  which  they  had  been  employed  than  in  any 
other. 

The  only  violent  changes  made  were  those  which 
gave  the  cooks  and  stewards  a  chance  to  learn 
seamanship  or  the  management  of  the  engine  and 
furnaces.  As  waiters  they  learned  out  in  a  few 
months,  and  even  the  rather  limited  routine  of 
cookery  required  on  board  was  exhausted  in  the 
same  time.  Old  deck  hands  and  firemen  became 
stewards,  while  those  who  had  served  in  the  fire- 
room  and  cabins  were  transferred  to  the  deck. 

The  increase  in  the  number  of  students  allowed 
a  very  large  force  of  seamen,  and  the  vessel  was 
now  heavily  manned.  Crews  for  the  quarter 
boats  were  appointed  for  permanent  service,  and 
four  quartermasters  were  added  to  the  organiza 
tion,  who  had  regular  tricks  at  the  wheel  in  the 
pilot-house  under  the  direction  of  the  first  or  sec 
ond  pilot. 


72  STEM  TO  STERN; 

Dory  Dormvood  had  been  in  command  of  the 
steamer  for  the  three  months  at  the  close  of  the 
last  season  of  navigation,  and  every  Saturday  he 
exercised  his  ship's  company  in  as  long  cruises  as 
the  length  of  Lake  Champlain  would  permit. 
Sometimes  the  principal  was  on  board,  and  some 
times  he  was  not.  If  he  had  anything  to  say,  he 
said  it  to  Captain  Dory  Dornvvood  ;  and  the  disci 
pline  was  as  perfect  as  though  the  steamer  had 
been  in  the  navy. 

In  the  beginning  of  Captain  Dornwood's  admin 
istration  there  had  been  considerable  difficulty. 
Boys  from  the  country,  or  even  from 'the  city, 
were  not  very  prompt  to  see  the  necessity  of 
obeying  orders  without  asking  any  questions.  But 
as  this  was  one  of  the  principal  lessons  the  steam 
yacht  was  to  impart  to  the  pupils,  there  was  no 
relaxation  of  the  discipline  to  accommodate  those 
who  were  dilatory  or  rebellious. 

If  an  officer  was  in  the  slightest  degree  disobe 
dient  to  those  above  him  in  rank,  he  \vas  "  broken  " 
as  soon  as  the  case  was  proved  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  principal.  If  the  delinquent  was  a  seaman, 
under-steward,  or  fireman,  he  was  relieved  from 
further  duty  on  board,  and  required  to  stay  on 
shore  under  the  eye  of  the  instructors,  or  of  Bates, 


OE,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  73 

the  old  salt,  who  obeyed  orders  as  though  they 
were  all  written  down  in  the  constitution  of  the 
State. 

As  this  was  the  severest  punishment  that  could 
be  inflicted  upon  any  of  the  students,  it  soon  had 
its  effect.  Before  the  season  closed,  the  ship's 
company  Avere  as  obedient  to  the  new  officers  as 
they  had  ever  been  when  Captain  Gildrock  was  in 
command.  More  than  this,  Dory  was  very  popu 
lar  in  the  school ;  he  was  not  unreasonable,  snob 
bish,  or  tyrannical,  and  never  did  violence  to  the 
self-respect  of  any  of  his  shipmates.  After  they 
had  learned  the  trick  of  doing  it,  it  was  a  pleasure 
to  obey  orders. 

The  students  assembled  in  the  boat-house,  and 
all  eyes  were  fixed  upon  Captain  Dormvood,  who 
was  to  have  command  of  the  expedition  to  Sandy 
Point,  for  the  operations  on  shore  as  well  as  those 
on  board  of  the  Sylph. 

"  Perhaps  I  ought  to  call  for  volunteers  for  the 
work  of  to-night,  for  some  of  you  may  not  want  to 
sit  up  so  late  as  the  business  in  hand  may  require," 
the  captain  began,  with  a  cheerful  smile  on  his 
handsome  face,  for  his  good  looks  had  certainly 
improved  in  the  last  two  years. 

"All  night  if  you  like  !  "  shouted  Bob  Swanton. 


74  STEM   TO   STERN. 

"The  principal  instructed  me  to  say  that  the 
early  bell  will  not  be  rung  to-morrow  morning," 
continued  Dory.  "There  will  be  a  good  deal  of 
hard  work  to  be  done,  including  some  lifting, 
though  there  are  enough  of  us  to  make  the  task 
easy.  These  are  the  hardships  of  the  trip  ;  and  if 
any  student  prefers  to  stay  at  the  school,  he  will 
be  permitted  to  do  so.  If  there  are  any  such  they 
will  please  step  forward." 

Of  course,  there  was  not  a  single  one  who  wished 
to  be  excused  from  duty.  The  captain  of  the 
Sylph  explained  that  they  were  to  make  a  trip  up 
the  lake  by  moonlight  in  the  steamer,  and  do  a 
smart  job  on  the  other  side.  This  was  all  he 
would  tell  them  at  that  time,  and  he  directed  them 
to  put  on  their  uniform. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

AN  EXPEDITION  BY  MOONLIGHT. 

r  I  ^HE  Sylph  lay  at  the  new  wharf,  and  as  soon  as 
the  students  had  put  on  their  uniforms  they 
went  on  board  of  her.  Chief-engineer  Minkfield 
was  directed  to  get  up  steam  at  once.  Captain 
Dornwood  ordered  one  of  the  quarter  boats  to  be 
lowered  into  the  water  and  manned.  Taking  Thad 
Glovering,  the  first  officer,  with  him,  he  embarked. 
At  the  order  of  the  coxswain  the  bowman  shoved 
off,  and  the  oars  were  dropped  into  the  water.  The 
boat  was  pulled  up  the  little  lake  to  the  stone 
quarries.  Mr.  Miker,  the  lessee  of  the  quarries, 
had  made  good  use  of  some  of  the  ideas  of  Bolly 
Millweed,  the  architect  of  the  boat-house.  The 
caisson,  on  which  the  stone  posts  for  the  foundations 
of  the  structure  had  been  transported,  had  sug 
gested  to  him  the  building  of  a  hnseruft.  or  scow. 

O  O  ^?  ' 

He  called  the  craft  a  "gundalow,"  which  appears 
to  be  a  corruption  of  gondola,  though  the  affair 
bore  but  little  resemblance  to  the  airy  boat  of  the 

75 


76  STEM   TO   STERN; 

Venetians.  It  was  fifty  feet  long  and  sixteen  feet 
wide.  It  was  decked  over  and  caulked,  so  that  it 
was  as  tight  as  a  ship  on  the  ocean.  It  had  a  stow- 
hole  at  each  end ;  but  these  compartments  were 
perfectly  tight,  so  that  if  any  water  flowed  into 
them  it  could  not  get  into  the  large  middle  chamber 
upon  which  the  craft  depended  for  its  power  of 
flotation. 

When  heavily  loaded  with  stone,  the  deck  was 
only  a  few  inches  above  the  level  of  the  water  out 
side.  Mr.  Miker's  principal  market  for  the  pro 
duction  of  the  quarries  was  at  Genverres,  though 
he  had  sold  a  large  quantity  of  stone  to  be  deliv 
ered  in  Burlington.  In  the  centre  of  the  deck  was 
a  derrick,  which  was  used  as  a  mast  when  the  gun- 
dalow  went  out  upon  Lake  Champlain.  She  was 
provided  with  a  large,  square  sail,  but  it  could  be 
used  only  when  the  wind  was  fair. 

On  her  trips  to  Genverres  she  was  poled  by  four 
or  six  men,  and  made  very  slow  progress.  But 
Captain  Gildrock  had  offered  Mr.  Miker  the  use  of 
the  Sylph  to  tow  her  when  he  wished,  for  this  was 
nothing  but  fun  to  the  ship's  company,  and,  as  it 
looked  like  business  to  them,  they  enjoyed  it  more 
than  mere  sailing  without  a  purpose. 

The  principal  made  no  charge  for  the  use  of  the 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  77 

steamer,  and  Mr.  Miker  was  grateful  for  the  ser 
vice  rendered  by  the  yacht  and  the  students.  The 
gundalow  was  just  the  thing  Captain  Dornwood 
wanted  for  the  operations  of  the  night.  When  the 
boat  reached  the  quarry,  the  captain  went  on  board 
and  measured  it.  But  the  derrick  was  in  the  way, 
and  unless  it  could  be  removed,  the  craft  would  be 
useless  to  him. 

Returning  to  the  boat,  he  proceeded  farther  up 
the  creek,  to  a  point  near  Mr.  Hiker's  house. 
Landing  again,  he  found  the  quarryman  in  his  gar 
den.  He  stated  his  business.  Of  course  he  could 
have  the  use  of  the  gundalow,  and  the  derrick 
could  be  taken  out  of  her.  The  man  of  stone  was  en 
thusiastic  to  serve  the  students,  and  he  did  not  even 
ask  to  what  use  the  craft  was  to  be  applied,  though 
Dory  volunteered  the  information  that  the  plan  he 
was  to  carry  out  was  approved  by  the  principal. 

Mr.  Miker  hastened  to  summon  all  his  men,  who 
lived  near  the  quarries,  and  by  eight  o'clock  they 
were  on  the  deck  of  the  gundalow.  But  it  was  no 
small  undertaking  to  remove  the  derrick,  for  the 
mast  was  a  very  heavy  spar,  and  was  stepped  in 
the  bottom  of  the  scow. 

The  rigging  and  the  long  arm  were  taken  from 
it,  and  then  one  of  the  movable  derricks  used  in  the 


78  STEM  TO  STEEN; 

quarries  was  brought  on  deck,  and  guyed  up  for 
work.  With  the  aid  of  this  machinery  the  mast 
was  taken  out,  and  deposited  on  the  shore.  The 
mast-hole  was  covered  with  a  tight  scuttle  made 
for  the  purpose,  and  the  gundalow  was  adapted  to 
the  business  for  which  she  was  to  be  used  in  the 
expedition  to  Sandy  Point. 

By  this  time  it  was  nine  o'clock,  and  the  moon 
was  just  beginning  to  cast  its  silvery  light  upon 
the  still  waters  of  the  little  lake.  Captain  Dorn- 
wood  promised  to  return  the  scow  to  the  quarries 
before  morning ;  but  Mr.  Miker  said  he  should 
not  use  her  for  a  week,  and  the  captain  could  keep 
her  as  long  as  he  wished. 

"  We  shall  want  a  lot  of  blocks,  planks,  and  tim 
bers,  but  we  have  plenty  of  them  on  the  school 
grounds,  though  we  shall  have  to  lug  them  a  con 
siderable  distance  to  put  them  on  board  of  the 
gundalow,"  said  Captain  Dornwood,  as  he  was 
about  to  step  into  the  boat. 

"  Hold  on  then,  Dory  !  I  have  everything  you 
can  possibly  want  in  that  line,"  interposed  Mr. 
Miker.  tf  The  students  have  saved  my  men  a  vast 
deal  of  hard  work  in  towing  the  gundalow,  and 
they  will  be  glad  to  put  all  the  lumber  you  need 
on  board  of  the  scow." 


OR,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  79 

"  That  we  will !  "  exclaimed  several  of  the  men 
in  the  same  breath. 

"  I  don't  want  to  give  you  and  your  men,  who 
have  been  at  work  all  day,  any  unnecessary 
trouble,"  added  Dory. 

"  No  trouble  at  all !  "  protested  the  men,  as  they 
began  to  put  the  timbers  on  board. 

Dory  was  very  grateful  to  them,  and  pointed  out 
the  kind  of  stuff  he  wanted,  including  a  large  pile 
of  rollers  used  in  moving  heavy  blocks  of  stone. 
In  half  an  hour  the  gundalow  was  loaded  with  the 
materials  Dory  had  indicated.  In  the  little  time 
at  his  disposal,  the  energetic  leader  of  the  enter 
prise  had  made  a  list  of  the  material  he  was  likely 
to  require.  He  had  been  at  work,  while  the  men 
were  loading  the  blocks  and  planks,  with  his  pencil 
and  paper,  and  had  thought  of  several  things  that 
were  of  prime  importance. 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Miker, 
and  I  shall  be  still  more  so,  if  you  will  lend  us 
eight  jack-screws,  for  we  have  not  enough  of  them 
at  the  shops,"  continued  Dory. 

ff  Are  you  going  to  move  a  meeting-house, 
Dory?"  asked  the  quarry  man,  laughing. 

"  We  are  going  to  do  something  of  that  sort," 
replied  the  leader  of  the  enterprise.  "  But  I  don't 
let  on  just  yet." 


80  STEM  TO  STEKN; 

\ 
"  All  right ;  you  know  what  you  are  about  every 

time,  and  it  is  best  to  keep  your  mouth  shut,  in 
case  you  should  not  succeed  as  well  as  you  expect. 
I  have  a  dozen  rather  small  jack-screws,  and  I  will 
have  all  of  them  put  on  the  deck  of  the  gunda- 
low,"  added  Mr.  Miker,  as  he  ordered  his  men  to 
bring  them  from  a  shanty  where  they  were  kept 
under  lock  and  key. 

"  I  will  see  that  everything  is  brought  back  again 
before  morning,"  said  Dory,  as  he  stepped  into  his 
boat,  and  gave  the  order  to  return  to  the  Sylph. 

It  was  now  nearly  ten  o'clock  on  as  beautiful  an 
evening  as  ever  gladdened  the  heart  of  any  night 
wanderers.  The  full  moon  gave  an  abundance  of 
light,  and  the  operations  of  the  students  could  be 
as  readily  conducted  as  in  the  day-time.  Every 
thing  that  would  be  needed,  with  the  exception  of 
a  few  coils  of  rope,  was  on  board  of  the  gundalow. 
A  party  was  sent  to  the  shops  for  them  ;  and  when 
these  necessary  articles  were  obtained,  the  fasts 
were  cast  oft',  and  the  steamer  stood  up  to  the 
quarries. 

The  gundalow  had  been  so  often  towed  by  the 
Sylph,  that  the  business  was  perfectly  understood 
In  a  few  moments  more  she  was  made  fast  to  the 
steamer  by  the  double  tow-lines,  so  that  the  awkward 


OR,    BUILDING   THE    BOAT.  81 

craft  could  be  steered  even  around  a  corner  without 
any  difficulty.  Will  Orwell,  the  second  officer,  was 
detailed  to  take  charge  of  a  party  of  six  on  board 
of  the  tow.  But  before  the  steamer  got  under  way 
again,  Captain  Dornwood  called  all  hands  together 
on  the  forward  deck. 

"Now  we  shall  know  what  sort  of  a  racket  this 
is  going  to  be,"  said  Dick  Halifax,  as  they  hastened 
to  the  place  of  meeting. 

"No,  you  won't,"  replied  Dick  Short,  to  whom 
the  remark  was  addressed.  "You  won't  know  any 
thing  at  all  about  it  until  we  come  to  the  work  to 
be  done." 

"Why  don't  he  tell  us  what  we  are  to  do?" 
asked  Dick.  "  I  should  like  to  know  something 
about  it." 

"  It  was  a  trick  of  Captain  Gildrock  to  keep  his 
business  to  himself,  and  Dory  takes  after  him.  The 
principal  thinks  the  fellows  can  obey  orders  better 
when  they  don't  know  what  is  coming  than  they  can 
when  they  understand  all  about  it.  Every  fellow 
thinks  he  knows  best  how  to  do  almost  anything." 

"  I  don't  know  but  he  is  right.  I  never  saw  a 
horse  tumble  down  in  the  street,  but  every  one  of 
the  crowd  around  him  wanted  to  boss  the  job  of 
getting  him  on  his  feet  again,"  added  Dick. 


82  STEM   TO   STERN; 

"  I  have  called  you  together,  fellows,  to  say  that 
it  will  be  necessary  to  keep  as  still  as  possible  on 
the  expedition  of  to-night ; "  said  Captain  Dorn- 
wood,  when  the  ship's  company  had  all  gathered 
on  the  forward  deck.  "  I  don't  know  that  a  noise 
would  defeat  our  plans,  but  I  am  very  much  afraid 
it  would  cause  us  some  trouble.  I  don't  believe 
in  any  yelling  when  we  are  on  duty,  but  I  fear  it 
would  make  mischief  to-night.  Please  to  observe 
this  request  in  the  strictest  possible  manner." 

"Where  are  we  going,  Captain  Dornwood?" 
asked  Bark  Duxbury,  one  of  the  new  students. 

"  Going  to  work  now,"  replied  the  captain  with 
a  smile.  "  All  hands  to  their  stations." 

The  ship's  company  separated,  and  all  the  offi 
cers  and  seamen  went  to  the  places  where  they 
belonged.  Though  no  meals  were  to  be  served 
during  the  nio'ht,  so  far  as  was  known,  the  cooks 

O  O          ' 

went  to  the  o-allej",  and  the  stewards  to  the  forward 
cabin.  The  second  officer,  with  his  gang,  went  on 
board  of  the  gundalow,  and  at  the  order  from 
the  captain  the  pilot  on  duty  rang  the  bell  to  back 
her.  By  this  movement  the  scow  was  hauled  out 
from  the  wharf,  and  the  bell  to  go  ahead  was  given. 
Mr.  Miker  and  some  of  his  men  stood  on  the 
shore  watching  the  departure  of  the  expedition, 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  83 

and  wondering  what  sort  of  a  mission  the  students 
were  going  upon  at  that  time  in  the  evening.  But 
the  Sylph  and  her  tow  soon  disappeared  beyond 
the  trees  at  the  lower  end  of  Beechwater.  Dory 
was  on  the  hurricane  deck,  keeping  a  sharp  lookout 
upon  everything  that  was  done. 

At  the  V-point  the  pilot  slowed  down  without 
any  order  from  the  captain,  and  the  scow  was 
switched  around  it  without  touching  the  mud. 
There  was  now  nothing  to  do  outside  of  the  engine- 
room  and  pilot-house  ;  and  the  crew  gathered  into 
companies  in  various  parts  of  the  deck  to  specu 
late  upon  the  nature  of  the  expedition  in  which 
they  were  engaged.  They  guessed  a  hundred 
things.  The  crew  of  the  Goldvving  were  pretty 
sure  they  were  going  to  Sandy  Point. 

The  Sylph  was  approaching  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  and  it  would  soon  be  necessary  for  Captain 
Dornwood  to  say  something.  For,  if  the  expedi 
tion  was  bound  to  the  northward,  she  would  take 
that  course  as  soon  as  she  came  up  with  the  point 
on  that  side  of  the  river ;  if  she  was  going  to  the 
southward,  she  would  have  to  keep  her  present 
course  half  a  mile  farther  out  into  the  lake  to  avoid 
the  shoals  off  Field's  Bay. 

Oscar  Chester  and   Dick    Short,  the   latter  of 


'84  STEM   TO    STERN. 

whom  had  been  promoted  from  a  deck-hand  to  the 
position  of  second  pilot,  -were  in  the  pilot-house. 
No  order  came  to  alter  the  course  at  the  north 
point,  but  a  few  minutes  later  the  captain  entered 
the  pilot-house. 

"  We  are  bound  to  Sandy  Point,"  said  he  ;  and  the 
head  of  the  steamer  was  turned  to  the  southwest. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour,  the  Sylph  was  close 
in  to  the  end  of  the  point,  and  Dory  discovered 
Paul  on  the  shore.  The  steamer  was  headed  into 
the  bay,  and  the  gundalow  brought  up  to  a  point 
directly  in  front  of  the  cottage. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A    CHANGE    OF   LOCATION. 

T3OTH  of  the  quarter  boats  of  the  Sylph  were 
lowered  into  the  water,  and  a  shore  party 
landed  with  Captain  Dornwood.  The  steamer  was 
then  left  in  charge  of  the  first  pilot.  The  hands 
on  board  of  the  gundalow  had  poled  her  up  to  the 
beach  where  she  had  grounded. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Dory,"  said  Paul  Bristol, 
when  the  captain  went  on  shore.  "  It  was  so  late 
that  I  was  afraid  you  were  not  coining." 

"  We  have  plenty  of  time  to  do  the  job,  for  I 
don't  think  it  will  take  us  a  great  while.  Have 
you  seen  anything  of  the  Chesterfields  this  even 
ing  ?  " 

"  Not  one  of  them  has  been  near  the  point,  so  far 
as  I  know,  and  I  don't  expect  to  see  any  of  them. 
I  suppose  they  are  dreaming  of  the  fun  they  will 
have  in  pitching  the  cottage  into  the  lake  to-mor 
row  afternoon,"  added  Paul,  with  a  cheerful  smile. 
"  But  I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  move  the 
building,  Dory." 

85 


86  STEM   TO    STERX; 

"  If  you  keep  your  eye  on  us  sharp  for  an  hour 
or  so  you  will  see,"  replied  the  leader  of  the  en 
terprise,  as  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  business 
before  him. 

After  half  an  hour's  hard  work,  the  lumber, 
blocks,  and  rigging  on  the  deck  of  the  scow  were 
landed  on  the  beach.  With  thirty  pairs  of  hands 
the  work  was  not  very  hard,  and  they  tossed  the 
large  sticks  about  as  though  they  had  been  nothing 
but  chips.  By  this  time  they  understood  what 
was  to  be  done,  and  the  students  were  full  of  en 
thusiasm.  They  were  required  to  work  in  silence  ; 
for  though  the  Chesterfield  school  was  all  of  half 
a  mile  from  Sandy  Point,  Dory  was  very  anxious 
lest  their  operations  should  be  disturbed  by  the  in 
stitute  people. 

Two  heavy  timbers  were  placed  under  the  cot 
tage  ;  the  jack-screws  wrere  put  in  position  under 
them,  and  the  building  raised  from  the  posts  which 
supported  it.  A  plankway  was  laid  on  the 
smooth  sand,  the  posts  were  removed,  and  the  cot 
tage  set  on  rollers.  The  plankway  was  contin 
ued  to  the  water. 

There  was  a  considerable  descent  from  the  site 
of  the  cottage  to  the  water.  Two  heavy  ropes 
were  attached  to  the  building,  and  passed  around 


OR,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  87 

a  couple  of  large  trees  in  the  rear  of  it.  The 
plankway  was  an  'inclined  plane,  and  it  required 
but  little  force  to  start  the  cottage  on  its  journey. 
With  a  couple  of  turns  around  the  trees,  the  hands 
stationed  at  the  check-lines  easily  controlled  its 
movements,  and  slacked  off  only  as  the  captain 
gave  the  word. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  building  was  rolled  down 
almost  to  the  water.  The  gundalow  was  aground 
on  the  shore  end.  Two  heavy  timbers  were  ex 
tended  from  the  deck  to  the  beach  and  supported 
by  blocks  so  that  they  would  bear  the  weight  of 
the  structure.  These  beams  lay  nearly  level  when 
they  were  in  position,  and  just  reached  the  end  of 
the  plankway  on  shore.  The  check-lines  were  eased 
off  again  when  smooth  bearings  for  the  rollers  had 
been  prepared. 

When  the  cottage  was  about  half  on  the  timber- 
wa}'s  the  force  of  gravity  was  no  longer  available, 
and  the  building  refused  to  budge  another  inch. 
While  Captain  Dornwood  was  on  the  front  of  the 
structure,  some  twenty  of  the  students  in  the  rear 
tried  to  push  it  toward  the  gundalow ;  but  they 
could  not  start  it. 

"Enough  of  that !  "  called  Dory,  as  soon  as  he 
saw  what  they  were  doing.  "  You  are  acting 


88  STEM  TO  STERN; 

without  orders,  and  wasting  your  strength  for 
nothing." 

"  But  the  building  sticks  fast  where  it  is,"  said 
Ben  Ludlow. 

"  If  you  think  you  can  push  it  ahead  you  are 
mistaken,"  added  the  captain.  "It  has  gone  as 
far  as  I  expected  it  to  go  of  itself." 

The  two  check-lines  were  then  carried  on  board 
of  the  scow,  and  the  Sylph  was  backed  up  to  her. 
The  lines  were  made  fast  at  the  quarters  of  the 
steamer.  Dory  stood  on  the  after  end  of  the  gun- 
dalow,  and,  with  a  boatswain's  whistle,  made  a 
signal  agreed  upon  with  the  pilot  to  go  ahead. 

The  lines  stiffened  and  strained,  and  then  the 
cottage  began  to  move  again.  The  timber  ways 
had  been  continued  on  the  deck  of  the  scow,  and 
the  building  moved  very  slowly  until  the  captain 
gave  a  second  signal  with  the  whistle. 

The  rollers  were  instantly  blocked  by  hands  un 
der  the  direction  of  the  first  officer.  But  the  rear 
of  the  cottage  just  reached  the  stern  of  the  gun- 
dalow.  At  least  half  of  the  weight  of  the  build 
ing  rested  upon  the  sand  at  the  bottom.  The 
water  deepened  very  rapidly  near  the  shore  on  the 
outside  of  the  point,  and  it  became  necessary  to 
handle  the  heavy  burden  with  the  greatest  care, 


OK,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  89 

for  the  forward  end  of  the  craft  would  settle  down 
as  soon  as  the  structure  was  moved  any  further, 
forming  an  inclined  plane,  on  which  the  cottage 
might  roll  overboard. 

There  were  four  iron  rings  at  the  stern  of  the 
scow,  and  check-lines  were  extended  from  them  to 
the  structure.  A  double  turn  was  taken  in  each 
over  a  cleat,  and  hands  placed  at  these  ropes. 
The  signal  was  again  given  for  the  steamer  to  go 
ahead.  The  building  moved  a  few  feet  further, 
and  the  rollers  were  promptly  chocked  when  the 
captain  gave  the  whistle  to  "  stop  her." 

The  cottage  was  not  yet  exactly  in  the  middle 
of  the  deck,  and  another  movement  was  necessary. 
The  bow  of  the  scow  settled  down,  but  the  check- 
lines  held  the  house  firmly  in  position.  The  sec 
ond  move  was  so  well  timed  that  it  placed  the 
building  in  exactly  the  right  place. 

The  check-lines  were  belayed  under  the  direc 
tion  of  the  first  officer,  while  the  second  officer 
proceeded  to  fasten  the  cottage  to  the  rings  in  the 
bow  of  the  scow.  It  was  to  remain  on  the  rollers 
during  the  trip  to  its  destination,  and  Captain 
Dornwood  made  sure  that  it  was  secured  beyond 
the  possibility  of  any  accident. 

All  the  spare  hands  were  then   ordered  to  the 


90  STEM   TO    STERN; 

shore,  Dory  leading  the  way.  The  lumber,  jack- 
screws,  blocks,  and  other  material  were  put  on  the 
scow,  for  there  was  still  abundance  of  space  for 
ward  and  abaft  the  house.  Everything  connected 
with  the  cottage  was  put  on  board. 

"  By  the  big  wooden  spoon  !  "  exclaimed  Paul, 
when  the  burden  of  the  work  was  done.  "  I  did  n't 
believe  you  could  do  it  with  a  hundred  men." 

"  We  haven't  finished  the  job  yet,"  replied  Dory, 
laughing. 

"  But  I  believe  you  can  do  all  the  rest  of  it," 
added  Paul,  filled  with  admiration.  r  These  stu 
dents  are  good  for  something  besides  keeping  bread 
and  meat  from  spoiling." 

"  They  are  good  fellows,"  answered  Doiy,  "  but 
we  have  not  quite  finished  over  here  yet." 

"  You  fellows  might  come  over  here  some  night 
and  carry  off  the  building  of  the  Chesterfield  Col 
legiate  Institute  if  you  felt  like  it.  I  don't  see 
what  more  there  is  to  do." 

A  lot  of  shovels,  hoes,  and  iron  rakes  had  been 
brought  over  on  the  steamer,  and  these  were  now 
carried  on  shore.  The  post-holes  under  the  cot 
tage  were  filled  up,  every  particle  of  rubbish  was 
removed,  and  the  ground  raked  over  until  every 
thing  was  as  smooth  as  though  no  human  being  had 
ever  resided  within  a  mile  of  the  spot. 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  91 

"  By  the  big1  wooden  spoon  !  "  shouted  Paul.  "It 
looks  just  as  it  did  when  we  first  came  here." 

"  We  will  leave  everything  in  good  order  and 
condition  so  that  Major  Billcord  shall  have  nothing 
to  complain  of,"  replied  Dory.  "  Now  make  the 
Dragon  fast  to  the  stern  of  the  gundalow,  and  we 
will  get  under  way.  I  think  you  had  better  stay 
in  the  house  to  see  that  everything  goes  right 
there." 

"  All  right,  Dory,  I  will  do  just  as  you  say ; 
but  I  don't  believe  you  have  started  a  joint  in  the 
cottage.  I  went  up  to  look  at  the  chimney  with  a 
lantern  while  you  were  shifting  it,  and  there  is  not 
a  crack  in  it.  " 

The  chimney  reached  only  from  a  beam  to  the 
ridge  pole,  and  a  couple  of  feet  above  it,  so  that 
the  brickwork  had  required  no  special  considera 
tion.  But  the  building  had  been  subjected  to  no 
hard  usage,  and  no  damage  had  been  done  to  it. 
All  the  furniture  remained  just  as  it  had  been  for 
two  years,  and  Mrs.  Bristol  might  have  kept  house 
in  it  as  well  as  when  it  was  stationary. 

As  soon  as  the  ship's  company  were  all  on  board 
of  the  steamer,  or  the  scow,  the  captain  gave  the 
word  to  go  ahead.  The  tow-lines  had  been  ad 
justed  before.  The  end  of  the  gundalow,  which  was 


92  STEM  TO  STERN; 

aground,  grated  a  little  on  the  sand,  but  it  came  off 
without  difficulty,  and  the  Sylph  with  her  tow 
headed  down  the  lake. 

The  officers  of  the  steamer  were  so  well  accus 
tomed  to  handling  the  gundalow  that  no  difficulty 
was  experienced  in  getting  the  cottage  to  its  desti 
nation,  which  was  to  be  at  Hornet  Point,  near  the 
outlet  of  the  creek  into  Beech  water.  The  location 
had  been  suggested  by  Dory,  and  agreed  to  by 
Captain  Gildrock.  It  was  quite  as  pleasant  a  spot 
as  the  former  site  of  the  cottage,  and  was  but  a 
short  distance  from  the  new  boat-house. 

The  plank  and  timber  ways  were  laid  down  as 
they  had  been  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  and 
the  building  was  moved  to  the  shore  as  readily  as 
it  had  been  put  on  board  of  the  gundalow.  By 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  it  was  in  position  on  the 
posts  upon  which  it  had  rested  at  Sandy  Point. 
The  materials  were  all  conveyed  to  the  quarry,  and 
the  gundalow  was  left  at  its  usual  moorings. 

By  this  time  most  of  the  students  were  gaping 
fearfully,  and  were  very  tired.  Paul  remained  at 
the  cottage  and  went  to  bed  after  the  departure  of 
the  Sylph.  The  ship's  company  were  dismissed  at 
the  wharf,  and  before  half  past  two  they  were  all 
asleep  in  the  dormitory.  Mrs.  Bristol  and  Lily 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  93 

were  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  went  out  to 
walk  by  six  o'clock. 

After  the  departure  of  the  students  the  night 
before  in  the  steamer,  they  had  not  heard  a  word 
about  the  cottage.  They  walked  over  to  the  boat- 
house,  where  they  found  the  principal,  who  was  an 
early  riser.  The  cottage  could  not  be  seen  from 
the  boat-house,  though  it  could  from  the  wharf. 
Bates  was  bringing  up  a  boat  in  which  the  captain 
wras  going  out  to  inspect  the  operations  of  the 
night. 

"  Good  morning,  Mrs.  Bristol ;  good  morning, 
Miss  Lily.  You  are  up  early,"  said  the  principal. 

"  But  I  don't  see  anything  of  the  cottage," 
replied  Mrs.  Bristol,  after  they  had  returned  the 
pleasant  salutations  of  the  captain.  "  I  did  not 
hear  a  sound  in  the  night,  and  I  suppose  Dory  was 
not  able  to  carry  out  the  plans  we  talked  about." 

"  They  certainly  did  not  make  any  noise  about 
it ;  but  if  you  and  Miss  Lily  will  take  a  seat  in  this 
boat,  we  shall  soon  ascertain  what  has  been  done," 
said  the  captain,  as  Bates  brought  one  of  the  four- 
oar  boats  to  the  landing  steps. 

The  ladies  seated  themselves  in  the  stern-sheets 
of  the  boat,  and  the  boatman  pulled  out  into  the 
lake.  But  he  kept  near  the  shore,  and  the  over- 


94  STEM   TO   STERN. 

hanging  trees  obstructed  the  view  of  Hornet  Point. 
In  a  few  minutes,  however,  the  boat  was  out  far 
enough  to  afford  its  occupants  a  view  of  the  mouth 
of  the  creek. 

"  Why,  there  's  the  cottage  !  "  exclaimed  Lily. 
"  It  looks  as  though  it  had  stood  there  since  it  was 
built." 

"The  boys  have  done  their  -work  very  well," 
added  Captain  Gildrock. 

The  party  landed  and  walked  up  to  the  cottage. 
Not  a  particle  of  rubbish  had  been  left  on  the 
premises ;  not  a  plank  or  a  block.  Where  the 
sand  on  the  beach  had  been  disturbed  it  had  been 
raked  over,  and  everything  looked  as  neat  as 
though  the  family  had  lived  there  for  a  year. 
They  went  to  the  front  door  and  the  back  door, 
but  both  were  locked.  Paul  was  still  fast  asleep 
in  his  chamber,  and  they  did  not  disturb  him. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    JANITOR    OF    THE    BOAT-HOUSE. 

/CAPTAIN  GILDROCK  was  delighted  with  the 
skill  and  the  industry  which  the  students  had 
displayed  in  the  removal  of  the  cottage.  It  was 
not  the  difficulty  of  the  feat  they  had  accom 
plished  so  much  as  the  neat  and  orderly  as  well  as 
quiet  manner  in  which  the  work  had  heen  done. 
Usually  boys  cannot  do  anything  without  a  great 
noise  and  not  a  little  bluster.  But  the  Beach 
Hillers  had  not  disturbed  any  one  on  either  side 
of  the  lake. 

With  the  machinery  at  their  command  it  was 
not  a  great  achievement  to  move  a  building  no 
larger  than  the  home  of  the  Bristols  across  the 
lake.  The  principal  had  as  yet  no  report  of  the 
work,  but,  taking  the  appearance  of  the  cottage  at 
Hornet  Point  as  a  specimen  of  the  labor  done, 
nothing  could  be  better. 

"  Everything  seems  to  be  in  good  order  here, 
Mrs.  Bristol,"  said  Captain  Gildrock,  when  he  had 
examined  the  cottage  and  its  surroundings. 

95 


96  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"I  can't  see  for  the  life  of  me  how  the  students 
brought  the  cottage  over  here  and  put  it  on  the 
posts  just  as  it  was  before,  and  in  the  night,  too," 
added  Mrs.  Bristol. 

"  And  everything  is  just  as  neat  as  wax-work," 
said  Lily. 

"  Just  beyond  the  quarries  is  what  we  call  the 
lake  road,  which  is  the  boundary  of  my  hind  on 
the  east  side.  There  is  a  driveway  from  it  through 
the  quarries,  near  the  shore  of  the  creek.  I  sh:  11 
continue  this  road  to  Beechwater,  which  will  carry 
it  by  the  end  of  the  cottage,"  continued  Captain 
Gildrock,  pointing  out  the  locality.  "  By  this  road 
you  can  go  to  the  town  without  passing  through 
the  school-grounds,  though  you  are  entirely  wel 
come  to  Use  the  latter." 

"You  ard  very  kind,  sir,"  replied  Mrs.  Bristol; 
"  I  am  sure  I  have  not  the  slightest  claim  upon  you 
for  anything,  and  you  have  done  more  for  me 
already  than  all  others.  We  shall  be  grateful  to 
you  as  long  as  we  live." 

"  I  think  you  are  a  very  worthy  woman,  and  I 
am  very  glad  to  be  able  to  serve  you,"  replied  the 
captain.  "But  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
my  mission  in  the  world  is  to  help  others  to  help 
themselves.  You  have  a  sou  and  a  daughter." 


OK,   BUILDING  THE  BOAT.  97 

"  And  they  arc  both  able  and  willing  to  work," 
added  the  woman. 

"  So  I  have  heard  from  my  nephew  ;  and  I  ex 
pect  to  put  you  in  the  way  of  earning  your  living. 
In  the  first  place  what  is  to  be  done  with  your 
son  ?  " 

"  He  will  do  any  kind  of  work  he  can  get  to 
do  —  work  in  a  store  or  on  a  farm." 

tf  If  he  goes  into  a  store,  he  has  about  one 
chance  in  ten  of  becoming  something  more  than  a 
counter-jumper  on  five  dollars  a  week.  But  he 
ought  to  learn  a  trade." 

"  I  should  be  very  glad  to  have  him  do  so,  but 
we  are  dependent  upon  him  just  now  for  the  means 
of  living.  When  Lily  had  a  place  in  Westport, 
she  received,  only  a  dollar  a  week  besides  her 
board ;  and  sometimes  Paul  could  not  make  any 
more  than  that." 

rl  have  a  place  for  Paul.  I  want  a  janitor  for 
the  boat-house,  for  Bates  is  getting  rather  too  old 
to  do  such  work.  I  will  give  your  son  a  salary  of 
twenty  dollars  a  month  for  the  service." 

"You  are  very  kind,  sir;  that  is  more  than  we 
ever  had  to  live  on,"  replied  Mrs.  Bristol. 

"  But  I  think  he  had  better  join  the  school  at 
the  same  time.  We  can  make  a  carpenter  or  a  ma- 


98  STEM  TO  STERN; 

chinist  of  him  ;  and  if  he  prefers  some  other  trade, 
what  he  learns  here  will  not  come  amiss.  He  can 
do  his  work  in  the  boat-house  and  be  a  member  of 
the  school  at  the  same  time,  though  he  will  have 
to  work  some  part  of  the  day  while  the  students 
are  at  play." 

"  Paul  will  be  very  glad  to  work  and  never  play, 
for  he  has  always  been  a  very  good  boy,"  added 
the  devoted  mother. 

rt  Your  daughter,  you  said,  had  worked  at  the 
millinery  business,  and  perhaps  a  place  can  be 
found  for  her  in  Genverres,"  continued  the  captain, 
as  he  led  the  way  back  to  the  boat.  "We  will  go 
to  breakfast  now." 

The  family  took  their  morning  meal  at  the  usual 
hour ;  but  not  a  single  student  had  yet  appeared  on 
the  grounds.  The  principal  would  not  allow  them 
to  be  disturbed  until  nine  o'clock,  when  the  bell 
was  rung  in  the  dormitory,  though  a  few  of  the 
boys  had  turned  out  at  this  hour.  At  half-past 
nine  breakfast  was  served  to  them  ;  and  they  all 
appeared  to  be  in  as  good  condition  as  usual. 

Paul  was  invited  to  join  them,  though  he  was 
to  board  at  home  as  .soon  as  his  mother  was  estab 
lished  in  the  cottage.  By  this  time  he  was  pretty 
well  acquainted  with  the  students,  and  wras  very 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  99 

popular  among  them.  The  story  of  his  fight  with 
Walk  Billcord  and  his  father  had  been  told  on 
board  of  the  Sylph  on  the  passage  to  Sandy  Point, 
and  his  prowess  made  him  a  hero  among  the  boys. 

"  Paul,  did  you  take  the  tin  box  from  the  hollow 
of  the  tree?"  asked  Mrs.  Bristol,  as  her  son  was 
leaving  the  mansion  with  the  rest  of  the  students, 
for  Fatima  Millweed  had  already  entered  his  name 
on  the  roll. 

"I  never  thought  a  word  about  it,  mother," 
replied  Paul,  not  a  little  mortified  at  the  neglect. 
"I  was  so  busy  and  so  anxious  that  it  never  came 
into  my  head.  But  I  will  go  over  in  the  Dragon 
and  get  it  right  off." 

"  But  Captain  Gildrock  has  a  place  for  you  as 
janitor  of  the  boat-house,  and  perhaps  he  cannot 
spare  you,"  added  Mrs.  Bristol. 

"  Janitor  of  the  boat-house  !  "  exclaimed  Paul, 
opening  his  eyes  very  wide. 

"  And  your  salary  is  to  be  twenty  dollars  a 
month,"  continued  Mrs.  Bristol.  "  The  captain 
says  his  mission  is  to  help  those  who  are  willing 
to  help  themselves.  Besides  this,  you  are  to  be 
one  of  the  students,  and  learn  to  be  a  carpenter 
or  a  machinist." 

"  One  of  the  students  !  "  almost  screamed  Paul. 


100  STEM   TO    STERN; 

"But  you  will  have  to  work  while  the  other  stu 
dents  play,  my  son." 

"  By  the  big  wooden  spoon  !  I  shall  be  willing 
to.  work  all  night  if  I  can  learn  what  the  other  fel 
lows  learn,"  replied  Paul. 

His  mother  explained  to  him  more  fully  the  in 
tentions  of  the  principal,  and  the  son  of  toil  was 
more  delighted  than  if  a  fortune  had  suddenly 
dropped  into  his  lap.  He  knew  all  about  the 
course  of  study  at  Beech  Hill,  and  thought  it  was 
the  finest  school  in  the  world.  He  had  long  wished 
that  he  might  learn  a  trade,  and  he  would  have 
sought  a  place  with  a  carpenter  before,  but  he 
would  have  to  work  for  nothing  at  first,  and  his 
mother  needed  the  dollar  or  two  a  week  he  could 
earn . 

"When  will  Paul  begin  his  work  as  janitor?" 
asked  Mrs.  Bristol,  as  the  principal  was  passing 
them  in  the  hall. 

"At  once,  Mrs.  Bristol.  His  wages  shall  begin 
to-day,"  replied  Captain  Gildrock.  "  But  if  you 
want  him  at  the  cottage  till  you  get  settled  we  can 
spare  him,  "though  he  had  better  join  his  class 
to-day." 

"  I  wanted  him  to  go  over  to  Sandy  Point," 
continued  Mrs.  Bristol,  who  then  explained  the 


OR,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  101 

errand  upon  which  she  proposed  to  send  Paul. 
"  The  tin  box  contains  my  wedding  ring,  my 
mother's  gold  ring,  and  a  two-dollar  bill.  I  was 
afraid  to  keep  them  in  the  house,  for  rough  char 
acters  sometimes  land  at  the  point.  I  did  n't  think 
of  the  box  till  I  wanted  the  money  to  buy  some 
provisions." 

ft  But  Paul  would  have  to  row  ten  miles  to  get 
the  box,"  added  the  principal.  "  This  is  a  broken 
day,  and  we  shall  not  do  much  in  the  school  or  the 
shops,  and  he  can  go  over  in  the  Goldwing  after 
the  students  are  dismissed.  I  will  pay  Paul's 
first  month's  wages  in  advance,  for  I  am  sure  you 
will  want  some  money." 

The  good  woman  took  the  money  under  protest, 
though  it  was  true  that  she  needed  it.  The  srold 

C  O 

rings  were  of  more  value  to  her  than  any  sum  of 
money,  and  she  hoped  they  would  not  be  lost. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  bell  rung  for  the  forenoon 
studies.  Paul  took  a  desk  assigned  to  him,  and  no 
other  boy  was  ever  more  interested  in  a  circus 
than  he  was  in  the  exercises  of  the  school-room. 
As  soon  as  the  school  was  assembled,  Captain 
Gilclrock  took  the  platform  and  called  upon  the 
leader  of  the  moonlight  expedition  to  report  upon 
the  action  he  had  taken. 


102  STEM   TO   STERN; 

Dory  modestly  related  all  the  particulars  of  the 
trip  to  Sandy  Point,  and  the  removal  of  the  cot 
tage,  and  warmly  commended  the  ship's  company 
for  the  good  order  they  had  maintained,  the 
promptness  with  which  his  orders  had  been 
obeyed,  and  the  quietness  with  which  all  had  done 
their  duty. 

The  principal  believed  in  giving  reasonable  com 
mendation  when  it  was  deserved,  and  he  bestowed 
handsome  praise  upon  them  on  this  occasion. 

When  the  boys  came  into  the  school- room,  they 
^noticed  upon  the  wall  in  the  rear  of  the  platform 
a  large  drawing  which  they  had  never  seen  before. 
It  consisted  of  three  plans  of  a  vessel.  On  a  table 
was  a  model  of  the  hull  of  a  craft  of  some  sort, 
resting  in  a  cradle.  The  students  had  kept  their 
eyes  fixed  on  the  drawings  and  the  model  most  of 
the  time  while  they  listened  to  the  commendation 
of  the  principal  and  the  report  of  their  leader. 

They  manifested  a  very  strong  interest  in  these 
things,  and  they  were  likely  soon  to  forget  the 
operations  of  the  night  before.  For  six  months 
there  had  been  a  great  deal  of  talk  among  them 
about  building  a  boat,  and  the  project  was  a  very 
attractive  one  to  them.  But  up  to  the  present 
time  nothing  had  officially  been  said  or  done  about 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  103 

it.  As  soon  as  the  spring  opened,  they  had  been 
required  to  erect  a  sort  of  shop  on  the  very  bank 
of  the  little  lake,  near  the  old  wharf  of  the 
steamer. 

This  structure  was  seventy-five  feet  long,  with 
plenty  of  windows,  and  was  entirely  open  on  the 
water  side.  In  accordance  with  the  general  policy 
of  the  principal,  its  use  had  not  been  explained ; 
but  all  the  students  believed  it  was  to  contain  the 
ways  on  which  the  boat  was  to  be  built.  It  looked 
now  as  though  the  desired  information  in  regard 
to  the  building  of  the  boat  was  to  be  communi 
cated  to  them. 

"  I  need  not  ask  you  if  you  have  noticed  these 
drawings,  and  this  model  of  a  vessel,"  said  Captain 
Gildrock,  after  he  had  finished  what  he  had  to  say 
about  the  moving  of  the  cottage ;  "  for  you  have 
been  looking  at  these  things  most  of  the  time  since 
you  came  into  the  school-room." 

"Are  we  to  begin  on  the  boat  to-day?"  Lon" 
Dorset  asked  ;  and  he  was  one  of  the  new  students, 
not  yet  thoroughly  broken  in  with  the  customs  of 
the  school. 

"  When  I  set  you  at  work  you  will  begin  ;  not 
before.  It  always  affords  me  very  great  pleasure 
to  answer  sensible  questions,  boys,  and  I  shall  do 


104  STEM   TO   STERN. 

everything  I  can  to  encourage  you  to  ask  them  ; 
but  I  don't  believe  in  foolish  questions.  Such  is 
the  character  of  all  questions  relating  to  what  we 
are  going  to  do.  You  are  never  required  to  do 
anything  until  an  order  is  given.  Foolish  ques 
tions  take  up  as  much  time  as  sensible  ones." 

Lon  Dorset  was  somewhat  abashed  at  the  man 
ner  in  which  his  inquiry  had  been  treated ;  but 
the  principal  knew  that  some  of  the  boys  would 
talk  all  day  about  nothing,  if  permitted  to  do  so  ; 
and  the  questions  he  tolerated  and  encouraged 
were  those  which  brought  out  real  information, 
and  revealed  the  condition  of  the  inquirer's  mind. 

"  The  building  of  the  boat  has  been  somewhat 
delayed  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining 
suitable  lumber,"  continued  the  principal.  "  A 
load  which  came  from  Boston  yesterday  will 
enable  us  to  make  a  beginning." 

Some  of  the  new  pupils  were  disposed  to  give 
three  cheers. 


CHAPTER  X. 

A   LECTURE    ON    SHIP-BUILDING. 

TTTE  are  not  ship-builders,  boys  ;  in  fact,  there 
is  not  a  ship-builder  connected  with  the 
school,  and  I  do  not  intend  to  engage  one  even  as 
an  instructor,"  said  the  principal,  continuing  his 
remarks  on  the  platform.  "  In  the  present  de 
pressed  state  of  this  important  industry,  perhaps  it 
is  not  advisable  to  devote  much  time  to  the  study 
of  scientific  construction  in  ship-building.  It 
looks  now  as  though  the  ships  of  the  future  were 
to  be  of  iron ;  and  many  vessels  of  this  material 
are  built  in  this  country  at  the  present  time. 

"  But  perhaps  ship-building  is  rather  too  ambi 
tious  a  term  to  apply  to  our  intended  operations. 
We  shall  build  a  boat  of  considerable  size,  and 
while  we  are  doing  the  work  we  shall  learn  what 
we  can  about  ship-building.  Many  years  ago  I 
built  a  ship  for  m}7self,  and  superintended  its 
construction  from  the  keel  to  the  trucks.  In 
building  our  boat  we  «hall  not  put  in  every  stick 
used  in  a  ship. 

105 


106  STEM  TO  STEKN; 

"Did  any  of  you  ever  tow  a  log  in  the  water?' 
asked  the  principal,  pausing  for  a  reply. 

"  I  have,"  answered  Leo  Pownall,  whose  father 
owned  a  saw-mill.  "  I  have  towed  lots  of  them  on 
the  mill-pond." 

"To  which  end  of  the  log  did  you  make  fast?" 
inquired  the  captain. 

"  To  either  end ;  just  as  it  came  handy,"  replied 
the  student. 

"  Then  you  sometimes  did  more  work  than  was 
necessary  with  your  oars.  A  log  tows  easier  when 
you  make  fast  to  the  big  end,"  continued  the  prin 
cipal,  waiting  for  the  pupils  to  digest  the  idea. 

ft  I  don't  see  what  difference  it  can  make,"  added 
Leo.  "  If  anything,  I  should  say  that  the  small 
end  would  open  a  passage  through  the  water  more 
readily  than  the  big  end." 

"I  suppose  none  of  you  ever  saw  a  whale,  but 
most  of  you  have  caught  horn-pouts,  or  bull 
heads." 

"I  have  seen  a  whale  on  exhibition  in  New 
York,"  interposed  Luke  Bennington. 

"  What  was  the  shape  of  his  head  ?  " 

"  The  one  I  saw  was  round ;  but  I  have  seen 
pictures  of  whales  in  which  the  head  was  nearly 
square." 


OR,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  107 

"  How  is  it  with  the  pout !  " 

"His  mouth  is  about  the  widest  part  of  him," 
laughed  Alick  Hartford. 

"Take  fishes  in  general,  in  what  part  of  the 
body  do  you  find  the  greatest  girt?"  asked  the 
principal. 

"Just  astern  of  the  head,"  replied  Kit  Bur 
lington. 

"  In  some  fishes,  about  one  third  of  the  length 
from  the  mouth,"  added  Bark  Duxbury. 

"  Very  good  ;  you  are  about  right,  though  some 
fishes  vary  from  the  general  rule.  Now  don't 
you  think  Nature  made  a  mistake,  Leo  Pownall, 
and  that  fishes  ought  to  swim  tail  first  instead 
of  head  first,  as  you  would  tow  a  log?" 

"  I  suppose  God  made  the  fishes  all  right ;  but 
He  gave  some  of  them  very  sharp  noses,"  returned 
the  saw-mill  owner's  son. 

"  Corresponding  to  the  shape  of  the  butt  of  a 
log  after  it  has  been  felled ;  but  the  greatest  girt 
is  still  near  the  head.  This  is  the  general  shape 
of  the  hull  of  a  vessel." 

"  But  the  head  of  a  sperm  whale  is  almost 
square  ;  and  no  other  fish  is  like  him,"  added  Phil 
Gawner. 

"  The  whale  is  not  a  fish,  Gawner.    I  have  seen 


108  STEM  TO  STERN; 

a  school  of  porpoises  alongside  an  ocean  steamer. 
Their  greatest  girt  is  one  third  of  the  length  from 
the  head  end ;  but  they  will  swim  past  a  fast 
steamer,  and  make  something  like  twenty  knots 
an  hour,"  said  Captain  Gildrock. 

"I  was  trying  to  find  the  porpoise  in  Wood's 
Natural  History  the  other  day  ;  but  there  is  no 
such  fish  in  the  book,"  added  Sol  Guilford. 

"Where  did  you  look?" 

"In  the  volume  about  fishes." 

"The  porpoise  is  not  a  fish,  and  3*ou  would  have 
found  it  in  the  volume  marked  '  Mammalia,'  "  re 
plied  the  principal  with  a  smile. 

"But  is  n't  the  porpoise  a  fish?  He  lives  in  the 
water." 

"  So  do  hippopotami ;  but  they  are  not  fishes. 
Whales,  porpoises,  dolphins,  seals,  and  some  oth 
ers,  are  mammals  ;  that  is,  they  suckle  their  young 
as  a  cow  does  a  calf.  Properly  they  are  not  fishes, 
though  they  are  very  often  called  so." 

These  were  the  kind  of  questions  the  captain 
believed  in  encouraging,  though  they  sometimes 
led  the  conversation  out  of  the  legitimate  channel. 
They  elicited  useful  information ;  and  he  was 
careful  not  to  let  the  students  wander  too  wide  of 
the  subject  under  discussion. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  109 

"  I  don't  know  now  why  a  log  or  a  fish  goes 
best  with  the  big  end  ahead,"  said  Leo  Pownall. 

"After  the  passage  for  a  moving  body  in  the 
water  is  opened,  this  fluid  follows  its  own  laws, 
and  seeks  an  equilibrium.  As  it  moves  back  to  its 
natural  level,  it  crowds  in  upon  the  after  part  of 
the  body,  whether  it  be  a  log,  a  fish,  or  a  ship, 
and  thus  pushes  it  ahead.  Under  the  stern  of  a 
vessel,  the  hull  is  curved,  or  hollowed  out,  just  as 
the  size  of  a  fish  diminishes  at  the  tail,  which  is 
the  fish's  rudder. 

"But  the  shape  of  the  hull  is  varied  according 
to  the  use  to  which  the  vessel  is  to  be  put ;  but 
the  rule  will  hold  good  in  the  main.  In  build 
ing  a  ship  the  beginning  of  the  work  is  done  on 
paper.  As  in  erecting  a  house,  the  first  thing  is  to 
obtain  the  plans,  which  are  made  by  the  naval 
architect.  In  fact,  the  entire  shape  of  the  vessel 
is  laid  down  on  the  drawing-board.  From  these 
the  builder  gets  his  dimensions,  all  the  curves,  and 
the  form  of  every  timber  and  piece  of  wood  used. 

"  On  the  drawing  on  the  wall,"  continued  the 
principal,  taking  the  pointer  and  indicating  the 
plans,  "  everything  is  put  down  that  can  be  needed 
in  the  construction  of  the  boat  we  intend  to  build. 
There  are  three  plans,  you  will  observe.  I  had 


110  STEM  TO  STERN; 

them  drawn  by  a  naval  architect  in  New  York. 
This,"  and  the  principal  pointed  to  the  highest  one 
on  the  paper,  "  is  the  sheer  plan.  It  shows  the 
side  or  profile  of  the  hull  on  a  flat  surface.  It 
looks  just  as  the  broadside  of  the  Sylph  would,  if 
she  were  too  far  off  for  you  to  get  any  idea  of  the 
curves  in  her  sides. 

"  This  plan  gives  the  exact  curve  of  the  bow, 
and  the  exact  slant  of  the  stern-post.  The  three 
straight  lines  extending  the  whole  length  of  the 
hull  are  the  levels  to  which  the  water  would  stand 
if  the  vessel  were  submerged  to  three  different 
depths.  This  drawing  is  made  on  a  scale  of  one 
inch  to  a  foot.  The  sheer  plan  is  a  vertical  plane 
through  the  keel.  From  it  we  get  the  length  and 
height.  The  red  lines  which  extend  from  certain 
points  at  the  bow  to  the  lower  part  of  the  stern 
post  indicate  the  various  curves  of  the  hull  at 
different  distances  from  the  vertical  plane  of  the 
keel.  In  other  words,  they  are  three  vertical 
planes,  parallel  with  the  central  plane. 

"The  next  plan,  of  the  same  length  as  the  first, 
shows  you  one  half  of  the  deck  of  the  boat,  and 
is  called  the  half-breadth  plan.  All  the  plans  are 
on  the  same  scale.  The  straight  lines  on  the  deck 
are  the  curved  lines  of  the  sheer  plan,  or  the 


OR,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  Ill 

tops  of  the  several  vertical  planes.  This  plan  re 
versed  would  show  the  other  side  of  the  vessel. 

"The  third  is  the  body  plan,  and  exhibits  a  ver 
tical  section  of  the  hull,  looking  at  it  end-on,  at 
the  point  where  it  has  the  greatest  breadth.  The 
right-hand  half  of  it  shows  the  bows,  and  the  left 
the  stern.  The  curved  lines  are  the  same  as  those 
on  the  sheer  plan,  though,  of  course,  they  are  shown 
only  at  the  bow  and  stern,  for  you  cannot  see  a 
line  when  you  look  end-on. 

"  With  the  making  of  these  plans  the  task  of  the 
naval  architect  conies  to  an  end,  unless  he  is  em 
ployed  to  superintend  the  construction  of  the 
vessel.  From  the  plans  the  builder  gets  the  exact 
size  and  shape  of  the  craft  he  is  to  build.  From 
it  the  moulds,  or  patterns,  of  all  parts  of  the  hull 
are  made.  In  an  apartment  called  the  mouldiiiLT- 
room,  with  which  every  ship-yard  is  provided, 
full-sized  plans  of  the  vessel  are  drawn  on  the 
floor.  I  do  not  mean  that  the  entire  ship  is  drawn 
at  the  same  time. 

"  If  the  bow  or  stern  was  accurately  trans 
ferred  to  the  floor,  enlarged  to  the  actual  size  of 
the  hull ,  the  exact  form  of  the  stem  or  stern  post 
could  be  marked  off.  From  this,  a  mould  or  pat 
tern  could  be  made  of  board  or  plank.  As  a 


112  STEM  TO  STERN; 

matter  of  fact,  a  mould  is  made  for  every  part  used 
in  the  construction  of  the  ship,  not  every  piece  of 
wood,  for  what  is  used  for  one  side  may  do  just 
as  well  for  the  other  side.  For  example,  a  timber 
on  one  side  is  exactly  like  the  one  on  the  opposite 
side. 

"  In  ship-building,  the  word  timber  has  two 
meanings.  As  in  general  use,  it  may  be  any 
large  stick  of  wood.  In  the  technical  sense,  it  is 
one  of  the  ribs  of  the  vessel.  The  means  of 
understanding  which  is  meant  will  be  given  you 
as  you  proceed  with  the  work.  The  keel  is  the 
backbone  of  the  vessel,  and  the  strength  of  the 
hull  depends  largely  upon  it. 

"The  keel  corresponds  with  the  backbone  of 
your  bodies.  At  the  forward  end  of  it  is  the 
stem,  shaped  as  you  see  in  the  sheer  plan.  At 
the  after  end  is  the  stern-post ;  and  these  three 
parts  form  the  profile  of  the  vessel.  Between 
them  are  the  timbers,  or  ribs,  curved  as  required 
by  the  shape  of  the  hull.  To  the  timbers,  the 
stem  and  stern-post,  the  planking,  or  outer  skin 
of  the  ship,  is  fastened.  If  you  were  to  build  a 
canvas  canoe,  you  would  make  a  frame  such  as  I 
have  described.  The  cloth  part  would  correspond 
to  the  planking. 


OR,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  113 

"But,  besides  the  principal  parts  I  have  men 
tioned,  of  course  there  is  a  vast  number  of  other 
parts,  whose  names  you  could  not  remember  if  I 
gave  them  to  you.  I  shall  add  only  a  fe\v  of  the 
principal  ones.  The  timbers  —  I  use  the  word  in 
its  technical  sense  —  are  set  up  about  three  feet 
apart,  sometimes  a  little  more,  and  sometimes  a 
little  less.  The  lower  end  of  each  is  fastened  to 
the  keel,  and  of  course  each  timber  has  to  be 
shored  up,  and  carefully  secured  in  its  proper 
position. 

"  The  timbers  are  at  right  angles  with  the  keel, 
and  in  large  vessels  are  formed  of  several  pieces. 
Across  the  keel  is  laid  the  floor  timber,  which  is 
the  connecting  link  between  the  pair  of  ribs.  In 
the  middle  of  the  ship,  the  floor  is  nearly  flat ; 
but  near  the  stern-post  the  timbers  strike  the  keel 
at  an  acute  angle,  and  in  the  same  manner  at  a  less 
angle  at  the  bows. 

"  Above  the  floor  timbers  is  laid  the  keelson, 
which  is  a  large  and  strong  timber  a  foot  square 
or  more  in  large  vessels.  These  pieces  are  fitted 
together,  and  bolted  to  the  keel  through  the  tim 
bers.  The  sharp  angle  at  the  stern  is  filled  with 
solid  wood.  As  you  have  seen,  the  floor  timbers 
are  parts  of  the  ribs,"  continued  the  principal, 


114  STEM   TO    STERN; 

pointing  to  a  diagram  of  a  full  rib.  "  The  next  two 
sticks,  forming  the  sharpest  bend  in  the  timber, 
are  the  futtocks,  above  which  are  the  top  timbers 
and  the  lengthening  pieces.  The  plankshear  is 
placed  on  the  top  of  the  timbers,  extending  from 
bow  to  stern,  even  with  the  upper  deck,  if  there 
is  more  than  one. 

"Large  ships  have  two,  three,  and  even  four 
decks.  Fastened  to  the  timbers  are  pieces  called 
shelves,  upon  which  rest  the  beams  or  timbers 
extending  across  the  ship,  upon  which  the  decks 
are  laid.  In  the  corners,  where  the  beams  join  the 
ribs,  are  placed  the  knees  (timbers  like  brackets) 
in  which  the  angle  is  formed  by  the  natural  growth 
.of  the  wood.  Of  course  all  these  pieces  are 
bolted  together  in  the  strongest  manner. 

"The  timbers  next  to  the  stem  are  the  knight- 
heads.  They  extend  upwards  higher  than  the  tops 
of  the  other  ribs,  and  assist  in  the  support  of  the 
bowsprit.  In  the  keel,  stem,  and  stern-post,  a 
rabbet,  or  triangular  groove,  is  cut  out,  into  which 
the  planks  are  extended.  The  first  course  of  the 
planking,  next  to  the  keel,  whether  composed  of 
one  or  many  pieces,  is  called  the  garboard  streak. 
This  word  is  often  written  straJce.  The  other 
word  is  more  commonly  used  in  this  country. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  115 

"  The  next  course  above  the  garboard  streak  is 
the  bilge  streak,  which  may  consist  of  several 
widths  of  plank.  Above  there  are  the  wales,  and 
still  higher  the  shear  streaks.  Some  of  these 
terms  are  applied  to  the  parts  of  the  ship  as 
localities.  The  bilge  is  where  the  sharpest  bend 
comes  in  the  hull ; .  the  wales  are  the  sides  near  the 
load  line. 

"  I  have  tried  to  give  you  a  general  view  of 
ship-building,  with  a  few  of  the  more  important 
technical  terms,  some  of  which  most  of  you  have 
learned  before.  As  I  have  said,  we  shall  not  use 
all  these  pieces  in  building  the  boat.  For  ex 
ample,  a  false  keel  is  put  under  the  true  keel  of  a 
ship.  It  is  a  timber  of  the  toughest  wood,  from 
four  to  six  inches  thick,  which  is  bolted  to  the  keel 
after  the  keelson  is  secured.  It  is  but  lightly 
fastened,  for  it  is  intended  to  come  oft",  if  the  ves 
sel  strikes  a  shoal,  and  thus  allow  the  true  keel  to 
slide  off.  \Ve  shall  not  need  this  addition,  unless 
we  require  it  to  increase  the  depth  of  the  keel. 
In  that  case,  it  would  be  better  to  have  the  part 
corresponding  to  the  false  keel  made  of  lead  or 
iron,  and  then  it  will  serve  as  so  much  ballast. 

"  On  the  table  you  see  a  wooden  model  of  the 
boat  we  are  to  build.  Its  form  and  size  are  ex- 


116  STEM   TO    STERN. 

actly  indicated  by  the  three  plans  I  have  explained. 
We  are  not  ship-builders,  only  amateurs ;  and, 
while  I  shall  take  pains  to  have  you  understand 
the  theory  and  practice  of  the  art,  I  do  not  feel 
obliged  to  follow  all  the  methods  in  use.  So  far 
as  I  know,  no  such  model  as  the  one  on  the  table 
was  ever  made  before.  As  I  shall  direct  the  con 
struction  of  the  boat,  I  shall  do  it  in  my  own  way, 
though  it  may  not  be  according  to  the  accepted 
rules. 

"  I  have  kept  you  now  longer  than  I  intended, 
for,  after  the  hard  work  you  did  last  night,  and  the 
very  quiet  and  business-like  way  in  which  you  did 
it,  I  shall  make  the  rest  of  the  day  a  holiday.  The 
Beech  Hill  fleet  is  at  your  service,  and  you  may 
spend  the  day  in  any  proper  manner  that  you 
please.  To-morrow  afternoon  we  will  dissect  this 
model,  and  give  out  the  work  of  building  the 
boat.  Tn  the  meantime  I  shall  be  glad  to  receive 
suggestions  as  to  her  name  ;  but  no  student  must 
send  in  more  than  one  name,  for  I  wish  you  to 
have  decided  opinions." 


CHAPTER   XI. 

ROUGH   AVATER    ON    LAKE    CHAMPLAIN. 

wind  was  very  fresh  from  the  northwest 
on  the  lake,  and  its  surface  was  covered  with 
Avhite-caps.  Above  Split  Rock  Point  the  lake 
looked  like  a  sea  of  foam,  and  heavy  waves  rolled 
in  upon  the  beach  in  Porter's  Bay.  Even  Beech- 
water  was  considerably  agitated.  Prudent  moth 
ers  would  have  thought  it  dangerous  to  go  out 
upon  the  lake  at  such  a  time. 

Apparently  for  the  reason  that  the  water  was 
rough  on  Lake  Champlain,  the  students  elected  to 
have  an  excursion  in  the  barges.  The  principal 
did  not  object,  for  the  boys  had  been  trained  to 
rough  weather,  and  they  knew  how  to  handle  the 
boats  in  any  sea  that  ever  was  stirred  up  on  fresh 
water,  albeit  the  waves  are  often  more  perilous  on 
large  lakes  than  on  the  ocean. 

Oscar  Chester  was  the  coxswain  of  the  Gildrock, 
and  Thad  Glovering  of  the  Winooski.  The  former 
was  still  used  by  the  first  class,  and  the  latter  by 

117 


118  STEM    TO    STERN; 

the  second.  But  the  classes  had  been  considerably 
changed,  and  vacancies  in  the  first  had  been  filled 
from  the  second  and  from  the  most  advanced  of 
the  new  pupils.  The  third  class  consisted  mainly 
of  new  scholars. 

The  twelve-oar  barges  each  had  a  crew  of  thir 
teen,  including  the  coxswains.  Nine  of  the  third 
class  were  detailed  for  service  in  the  new  eight-oar 
barge,  and  there  was  one  who  had  no  station  in 
any  boat.  One  of  the  thirty-six  students  to  which 
the  school  was  now  limited  had  been  taken  sick, 
and  returned  to  his  home  in  the  winter.  He  was 
from  the  far  South,  and  the  climate  was  too  severe 
for  him.  His  place  had  not  been  filled  before  the 
coming  of  Paul  Bristol.  He  was  to  be  a  spare 
hand  for  the  present,  and  was  to  take  the  place  of 
any  one  who  was  absent. 

The  eight-oar  barge  was  the  Marian,  in  honor  of 
Dory's  sister,  and  the  name  had  been  given  by  the 
students.  Paul  had  spoken  to  Dory  about  the  tin 
box  in  the  hollow  of  the  tree,  and  it  had  been 
arranged  to  visit  Sandy  Point  in  the  Gold  wing ; 
but  when  the  students  decided  to  go  out  in  the 
barges,  the  plan  had  been  changed.  Dick  Short, 
though  a  first-rate  mechanic,  and  one  of  the  best 
boatmen  in  the  fleet,  had  been  transferred  to  the 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  119 

third  class  because  he  was  deficient  in  some  of  his 
book  studies,  and  could  not  keep  up  with  his 
class-mates. 

Dick  had  been  elected  coxswain  in  the  Marian. 
Dory  had  trained  the  new  crew,  but  he  declined 
to  be  the  chief  in  the  boat.  He  pulled  the  stroke 
oar,  though  he  exchanged  places  with  the  coxswain 
when  the  boys  were  in  training.  The  crew  of  the 
Marian  generally  manned  the  Goldwing,  though 
the  schooner  was  often  used  by  other  parties. 

A  lunch  had  been  put  up  for  each  of  the  crews 
of  the  barges,  and  they  were  expected  to  be  absent 
all  the  rest  of  the  day.  Sometimes  Captain  Gild- 
rock  was  called  by  business  or  pleasure  to  visit 
Burlington,  Plattsburgh,  or  other  places  on  the 
lake,  when  the  students  were  at  their  studies,  or 
off  in  the  barges.  At  such  times  he  was  his  own 
pilot,  Mr.  Jepson  was  the  engineer  when  not  in 
structing  in  the  shop  or  drawing-room,  Bates  was 
deck-hand,  and  Collins,  the  gardener,  was  the  fire 
man. 

Before  the  students  were  dismissed  from  the 
school-room,  steam  was  up  on  the  Sylph,  and  the 
barges  had  hardly  departed  before  she  left  the 
wharf.  If  she  had  any  particular  destination,  it 
was  unknown  to  most  of  the  students ;  and  possi- 


120  STEM  TO  STERN; 

bly  the  principal  desired  to  take  a  view  of  Sandy 
Point  after  the  event  of  the  preceding  night. 

It  was  half-past  eleven  when  the  barges  backed 
out  of  the  boat-house.  Paul  was  seated  in  the 
stern-sheets  of  the  Marian.  He  had  not  yet  been 
trained  to  pull  with  the  crew,  though  he  would 
have  gladly  taken  an  oar.  On  the  present  occa 
sion  his  mission  related  to  business.  While  they 
were  at  breakfast,  Lily  had  spoken  to  him  about  a 
valise  she  had  been  obliged  to  leave  at  the  house 
of  her  former  employer  in  Westport.  Paul  had 
promised  to  get  it  when  he  could. 

The  Marian  led  the  way  down  the  creek  into 
the  river,  and  then  out  into  the  lake.  The  other 
barges  followed  at  a  respectful  distance,  and  their 
crews  did  not  seem  to  be  inclined  to  engage  in  any 
scrub  races.  The  speed  of  the  eight-oar  boat  had 
not  yet  been  tested,  and  it  had  always  been  taken 
for  granted  that  either  of  the  other  barges  could 
beat  her  without  half  trying.  But  it  was  no  time 
to  indulge  in  a  race  when  the  water  was  so  rough. 

The  waves  were  dashing  smartly  over  the  point 
at  the  mouth  of  Beaver  River,  and  the  bow  of  the 
Marian  was  lifted  up  in  the  air  as  she  plunged  in 
among  the  white-caps.  Dick  Short  got  the  hang 
of  the  waves  as  soon  as  they  struck  the  boat.  Paul 


OK,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  121 

thought  it  was  about  as  rough  a  time  as  he  had 

O  O 

ever  seen  on  the  lake  during  the  season  of  naviga 
tion  ;  but  he  had  never  been  in  the  barge  before, 
and  everything  was  new  to  him. 

"  By  the  big  wooden  spoon  ! "  exclaimed  the 
passenger,  when  the  Marian  was  in  the  thickest  of 
the  miniature  billows,  and  the  water  was  occasion 
ally  slopping  in  over  the  bow.  "  Don't  you  expect 
you  will  all  get  drowned  ?  " 

"You  can't  tell  about  that,"  replied  the  cox 
swain,  who  felt  as  much  at  home  in  the  boat  as  he 
would  in  the  school-room.*  "  We  are  not  prophets, 
and  we  can't  tell  what  is  going  to  happen." 

"Don't  you  think  it  is  dangerous  to  come  out 
here  when  the  lake  is  boiling  after  this  sort?" 
asked  Paul,  as  he  looked  at  the  angry  waves 
around  him. 

"  I  suppose  it  is.  There  is  always  water  enough 
in  the  lake  to  drown  the  whole  of  us,"  answered 
Dick  Short,  who  was  rather  inclined  to  work  upon 
the  fears  of  a  timid  voyager. 

"Then  what  do  you  come  out  here  for?" 

"  For  fun." 

"  Is  there  any  fun  in  being  drowned,  Dick 
Short?"  asked  Paul  seriously,  as  he  glanced  at 
Dory,  whose  face  was  as  calm  as  the  minister's  on 
Sunday. 


122  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"  Any  fun  in  being  drowned?  How  should  I 
know?  I  never  tried  it."  returned  the  coxswain. 

"  But  don't  you  think  it  is  dangerous  to  be  out 
here  in  such  a  blow  ?"  Paul  insisted  ;  and  he  really 
believed  he  was  in  peril. 

"  Of  course  it  is." 

"  Then  don't  you  think  you  had  better  put  back 
into  the  river?" 

"  But  it  is  dangerous  in  there,"  added  Dick. 
"  Suppose  a  tree  should  blow  down  and  kill  every 
fellow  in  the  boat?  Suppose  the  sea-serpent 
should  be  having  a  vacation  up  Beaver  River,  and 
take  it  into  his  head  to  swallow  us  all,  one  at  a 
time?  Suppose  the  river  should  catch  fire  and 
burn  us  all  up?  Suppose  the  sky  should  fall,  as 
Chicken  Little  said  it  would,  and  smash  us  all  to 
jelly?" 

"You  are  making  fun  of  me,  Dick,"  said  Paul, 
laughing. 

"  The  principal  says  it  is  useless  to  worry  about 
anything.  We  do  the  best  we  can  with  the  boat ; 
and  if  she  spills  us  into  the  fluid,  all  we  have  to  do 
is  to  get  out  if  we  can." 

"  I  think  I  can  stand  it  as  well  as  any  of  the 
rest  of  the  fellows  can,  and  I  don't  mean  to 
worry,"  returned  Paul.  "I  never  was  out  on  the 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  123 

lake  when  it  was  anything  near  as  rough  as  it  is 
to-day,  and  it  looks  dangerous  to  me." 

"If  you  don't  feel  right  about  it,  we  will  put 
you  ashore,"  added  the  coxswain. 

"  I  am  not  scared  ;  I  can  stand  it  as  well  as-  the 
rest  of  you.  I  was  only  asking  about  it  for  infor 
mation,"  continued  Paul. 

"I  don't  believe  you  are  scared;  if  you  had 
pluck  enough  to  stand  up  against  Walk  Billcord 
and  his  father,  I  don't  believe  you  will  mind  a 
little  ripple  on  the  lake  like  this,"  replied  Dick, 
laughing. 

"You  said  it  was  dangerous." 

"Well,  an  ox-team  is  dangerous  if  you  let  the 
beasts  run  off  a  precipice.  It  is  dangerous  to  go 
to  bed,  for  the  house  may  burn  up  before  morn 
ing." 

"  We  don't  think  we  are  in  any  more  danger 
here,  Paul,  than  we  are  every  hour  of  the  day  on 
shore,"  added  Dory.  "Dick  could  upset  the  boat, 
and  spill  us  all  into  the  drink,  if  he  did  not  under 
stand  his  business  and  attend  to  it." 

"  All  right ;  I  am  satisfied,"  replied  the  son  of 
toil.  "But  I  thought  you  were  going  up  to  Sandy 
Point." 

"  So  we  are  ;   but  the  direct  course  would  be 


124  STEM  TO  STERN; 

about  southwest,  and  that  would  put  us  into  the 
trough  of  the  sea  and  keep  us  rolling  the  gunwale 
under  all  the  time,"  replied  Dick.  "  The  princi 
pal  don't  allow  the  fellows  to  be  reckless.  There 
comes  the  Sylph  out  of  the  river,  and  Captain 
Gildrock  is  on  board  of  her.  If  he  should  see 
me  letting  the  barge  wallow  about  in  the  trough 
of  the  sea,  when  there  is  no  need  of  it,  he  would 
give  me  fits." 

"  We  could  go  direct  to  Sandy  Point,  though 
at  a  little  risk.  We  should  take  in  a  good  deal 
of  water,  and  it  would  be  uncomfortable,"  said 
Dory.  "  In  a  small  boat  in  a  blow,  or  in  a  squall, 
the  safe  way  is  to  keep  her  head  up  to  the  sea." 

"The  other  boats  are  following  us." 

M  The  coxswain  of  each  can  do  as  he  pleases  ; 
but  the  fellows  all  know  there  is  no  fun  in  being 
knocked  about  in  the  trough  of  a  smart  sea," 
added  the  coxswain.  "  Do  you  expect  to  find  any 
one  at  the  point  when  we  get  there,  Paul?  " 

"  No  ;  it  is  n't  twelve  o'clock  yet.  The  Chester 
fields  are  in  school  from  eight  to  one,  and  then  go 
to  dinner.  They  won't  get  away  from  the  house 
before  two,"  replied  Paul.  "I  don't  believe  any 
one  at  the  school  has  any  idea  of  what  was  done  at 
the  point  last  night." 


OR,   BUILDING  THE  BOAT.  125 

"  I  should  like  to  be  where  I  could  see  them 
when  they  get  to  the  point,  and  find  that  the  cot 
tage  is  missing,"  added  Dick,  chuckling.  "  Major 
Billcord  will  be  the  maddest  man  in  the  State  of 
New  York  when  he  finds  it  is  gone." 

"  Of  course  he  will  be.  He  don't  care  anything 
about  the  land  over  there,  and  all  he  wanted  was 
to  punish  us  for  resisting  his  saintly  son." 

"I  don't  believe  it  will  be  safe  for  you  to  show 
your  head  in  Westport  again,  Paul,  or  let  any  of 
the  Chesterfields  see  you." 

"Land  me  in  Westport  and  see,"  laughed  Paul. 

Dick  agreed  to  do  so. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A    SAILBOAT   IN   THE    TROUGH   OF   THE    SEA. 

"VTTHEN  the  Marian  was  half-way  across  the 
lake,  the  Avaves  began  to  diminish  in  force ; 
and  within  an  eighth  of  a  mile  of  the  high  shore 
the  water  was  comparatively  smooth.  The  barge 
was  then  headed  to  the  southwest,  and  had  a  quiet 
time  of  it  till  she  reached  Sandy  Point.  The  Gild- 
rock  and  the  Winooski  had  followed  her,  and  were 
now  about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  astern  of  her. 

Dory  Dornwood  was  very  popular  with  all  the 
students,  not  because  he  was  the  nephew  of  the 
principal,  but  on  account  of  his  fairness,  his  pluck, 
and  his  good  judgment.  Though  Captain  Gild- 
rock  believed  and  trusted  in  him,  no  one  could  ac 
cuse  him  of  partiality.  Perhaps  the  coxswains  of 
the  two  twe~.  e-oar  barges,  who  knew  that  Dory 
was  on  board  of  the  Marian,  considered  it  wise 
and  prudent  to  follow  the  lead  of  the  eight-oar 
barge  for  this  reason. 

On  shore  everything  was  as  silent  as  the  tomb. 
126 


STEM  TO  STERN;  127 

At  Sandy  Point,  Paul  looked  with  deep  interest 
for  the  appearance  of  any  person  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  site  where  the  cottage  had  stood.  It  was 
possible  that  Major  Billcord  had  sent  one  of  his 
men  from  Westport  to  ascertain  what  the  Bristol 
family  intended  to  do  about  the  removal  of  the 
cottage  or  the  furniture  which  it  contained ;  but 
Paul  could  see  no  one. 

"  It  looks  as  though  the  coast  was  clear,"  said  he, 
when  he  had  completed  his  survey  of  the  point 
and  the  Avoods  in  the  rear.  "  I  don't  believe  any 
one  has  been  here  since  we  left  last  night." 

"Major  Billcord  must  have  regarded  it  as  utter 
ly  impossible  for  your  mother  or  you  to  do  any 
thing  more  than  remove  some  of  your  furniture," 
added  Dory.  "  I  am  sure  he  did  not  think  of 
such  a  thing  as  your  taking  the  cottage  away  ; 
and  I  don't  believe  he  would  have  considered  it 
possible  for  the  Beech  Killers  to  do  such  a  job. 
Probably  he  did  not  count  us  in,  or  think  of  us 
at  all." 

"It  was  lucky  for  my  mother  that  you  came 
along  in  the  Goldwing  as  you  did,  for  you  have 
saved  her  all  she  had  in  the  world,"  said  Paul,  with 
enthusiasm. 

"  Now,  where  is  the  tin  box  in  the  hollow  of  a 


128  STEM  TO  STERN; 

tree  ?  "  asked  Dick  Short,  as  the  barge  approached 
the  entrance  to  Sandy  Bay. 

"The  tree  is  near  the  neck,  and  I  had  to  climb 
up  about  ten  feet  to  reach  the  hollow  in  which  the 
tin  box  was  put,"  replied  Paul.  "  As  the  Chester 
fields  are  expecting  to  have  a  big  time  in  dumping 
the  cottage  into  the  lake,  this  afternoon,  they  may 
come  up  early.  I  have  no  doubt  they  will  pull 
around  here  in  their  boats." 

"Then  I  think  we  had  better  get  away  from  the 
point  as  soon  as  possible,"  replied  the  coxswain. 
"  AVe  don't  want  to  get  into  any  row  with  them." 

"I  suppose  you  are  not  afraid  of  them,"  added 
Paul,  laughing. 

"  I  don't  think  we  are,  and  most  of  the  fellows 
wouldn't  enjoy  anything  better  than  a  skirmish 
with  them, "replied  Dick  Short.  "But  the  student 
that  does  anything  to  bring  on  a  row  with  thorn 
would  be  out  of  favor  with  the  principal,  and 
might  have  to  spend  a  few  days  in  the  brig  for 
it." 

Paul  had  never  heard  of  the  brig,  and  Dick 
described  the  strong-room,  or  black  hole,  to  him. 
The  brig  is  the  place  of  confinement,  or  prison,  on 
board  ships  of  war,  and  the  principal  had  such  an 
apartment  in  the  dormitory.  But  there  had  been 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  129 

very  little  use  for  it  since  the  earlier  days  of  the 
school,  and  not  half  a  dozen  of  the  students  had 
ever. seen  the  inside  of  it. 

"I  don't  see  any  of  the  Chesterfield  boats," 
added  Paul,  as  he  looked  along  the  shore.  "By 
the  big  wooden  spoon  !  Isn't  the  lake  stirred  up 
ahead  of  us !  " 

"The  wind  has  full  sweep  across  North  West 
Bay,  where  the  lake  is  four  miles  wide.  It  looks 
decidedly  foamy  over  in  Button  Bay,"  replied 
Dick  Short. 

"  By  the  big  wooden  spoon  ! "  repeated  Paul, 
as  he  rose  in  his  seat  in  the  stern-sheets. 

"Sit  down,  Paul,"  said  the  coxswain,  rather 
sharply.  "  We  don't  allow  any  fellow  to  stand  up 
in  this  boat  when  he  gets  excited.  What  is  the 
matter  now  ?  " 

"  There  is  a  sailboat  over  there,  and  she  looks 
as  though  she  was  tipping  over  !  "  exclaimed  Paul, 
dropping  into  his  seat. 

"  She  is  over,  as  true  as  you  live,"  added  Dick, 
rather  louder  than  he  usually  spoke,  but  with 
hardly  more  excitement,  so  thoroughly  had  the 
students  been  trained  to  keep  cool  in  emergencies. 

At  the  same  time  he  glanced  at  his  crew ;  but 
not  one  of  them  had  turned  around  to  obtain  a 


130  STEM  TO  STERN; 

view  of  the  event  described  by  Paul  find  the  cox 
swain,  for  they  had  been  schooled  to  keep  their 
eyes  on  the  officer  of  the  boat.  The  crew  took 
more  pride  in  observing  this  general  order  than 
almost  any  other. 

Dick  Short  gazed  with  all  his  might  at  the 
struggling  sailboat,  for  a  moment,  but  he  seemed 
to  be  in  doubt,  for  the  craft  was  at  least  a  mile 
distant.  Besides  himself,  no  one  but  Paul,  whose 
judgment  in  regard  to  the  management  of  a  sail 
boat  was  not  to  be  relied  upon,  had  even  glanced 
in  the  direction  indicated. 

"  Stan<i  by  to  toss  !  "  called  Dick.     "Toss  ! '' 

At  the  last  word  the  crew  brought  their  oars  to 
a  perpendicular. 

"  Now  you  can  look,  and  I  wish  you  would  do 
so,"  continued  the,  coxswain,  as  he  fixed  his  own 
gaze  upon  the  sail,  which  was  dead  to  leeward, 
and  some  distance  south  of  Button  Island. 

The  students  were  glad  enough  of  the  permis 
sion,  for  they  had  as  much  curiosity,  and  were  as 
much  disposed  to  get  excited,  as  the  average  of 
boys.  They  gazed  with  all  their  eyes  at  the  sail 
in  the  distance. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  it,  Dory  ?  "  asked  Dick 
Short. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  131 

"  I  should  say  that  sailboat  is  half  full  of  water, 
and  that  the  skipper  has  lost  his  head,"  replied 
Dory,  after  he  had  taken  in  the  situation.  "She 
is  rolling  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  they  seem 
to  be  trying  to  take  in  sail." 

All  the  crew  gazed  in  silence  at  the  sailboat ;  but 
no  one  of  them  ventured  to  give  an  opinion,  if  he 
had  any,  in  relation  to  the  disaster.  Dory  had 
more  experience  in  sailing  a  boat  than  any  other 
student,  and  perhaps  they  were  not  inclined  to 
speak  in  the  presence  of  an  expert.  But  Dick 
Short  was  an  excellent  boatman,  and  he  deferred 
only  to  the  skipper  of  the  Goldwing. 

"  She  must  be  rolling  the  water  into  her  all  the 
time,  and  she  may  go  to  the  bottom  at  any  mo 
ment,"  added  the  coxswain,  whose  opinion  coin 
cided  with  that  of  Dory.  "  We  must  go  to  their 

• 

assistance  at  once." 

Dory  indicated  his  assent  to  this  proposition 
only  by  a  nod  of  his  head,  for  he  did  not  like  to 
appear  before  the  crew  to  be  even  an  adviser  of  the 
coxswain. 

"  Ready  !  "  called  Dick  ;  at  which  every  member 
of  the  crew  at  the  oars  fixed  his  eyes  upon  the 
officer. 

"  Let  fall !  "  and  all  the  blades  dropped  into  the 


132  STEM  TO  STERN; 

water.  "  Give  way  !  "  and  the  rowers  bent  to  their 
oars. 

The  Marian  was  headed  towards  the  disabled 
sailboat,  and  in  a  few  moments  she  was  going  at 
full  speed.  The  coxswain  did  not  hurry  the  oars 
men,  for  he  knew  better  than  to  exhaust  them 
before  the  hard  work  came  on.  The  lake  was 
comparatively  smooth  under  the  lae  of  the  land, 
but  in  a  few  minutes  they  would  be  in  the  boiling 
waves  of  the  broad  bay. 

"Have  you  seen  anything  of  the  Sylph?"  asked 
Dory  of  the  coxswain. 

w  She  went  up  the  lake  when  we  crossed  to  the 
west  shore,"  replied  Dick.  "  The  last  I  saw  of 
her  she  was  off  Scotch  Bonnet.  I  think  the  prin 
cipal  has  gone  up  to  Port  Henry  to  order  a  barge- 
load  of  coal,  for  I  heard  him  tell  Mr.  Jepson  he 
should  do  so  soon." 

"  Then  by  this  time  he  is  too  far  off  to  see  that 
sailboat,"  added  Dory. 

"  He  could  n't  do  much  if  he  did  see  it,  for  he 
has  not  hands  enough  to  handle  the  steamer  and 
man  a  boat,"  said  Dick. 

"  He  would  manage  to  render  all  the  assistance 
needed  if  he  saw  the  boat,"  replied  Dory,  with  a 
smile  ;  for  he  could  not  conceive  of  such  a  thing  as 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  133 

his  uncle  failing  in  any  duty  in  an  emergency. 
"  He  could  put  the  sailboat  under  the  lee  of  the 
Sylph,  and  take  every  person  out  of  her." 

"  Of  course  he  would  do  all  he  could,  and  he 
would  save  the  people  at  all  hazards,"  continued 
Dick,  still  straining  his  vision  to  get  a  better  idea 
of  the  situation  of  the  sailboat.  "  But  how  about 
the  tin  box  in  the  hollow  of  the  tree,  Paul?" 

'"  I  shall  have  time  enough  to  get  that  before  the 
fellows  go  to  the  point  to  tip  the  cottage  over  into 
the  lake,"  replied  Paul.  "This  boat  begins  to  leap 
like  a  orevhound  chasing  a  rabbit." 

O          v  O 

"  The  boat  will  do  very  well  as  long  as  we  can 
keep  her  end-on  to  the  sea,"  added  Dory,  who 
thought  the  new  pupil  might  be  alarmed  when  the 
barge  got  into  the  worst  of  it.  "  But  remember 
that  you  are  to  do  nothing  without  orders  from  the 
coxswain.  Simply  keep  your  seat  and  look  out 
for  yourself." 

"I  think  I  can  stand  it  as  long  as  the  rest  of 
you,"  replied  Paul,  with  a  cheerful  smile.  "I  won't 
meddle  with  anything  till  I  am  told  to  do  so." 

"  The  Gildrock  and  the  Winooski  are  following 
us,  and  the  fellows  are  putting  in  the  heavy 
strokes,"  said  Dory. 

"  Are  they  gaining  on  us  ?  "  asked  Dick. 


134  STEM   TO   STEKN. 

"I  think  not." 

The  sea  was  very  heavy  ahead  of  the  Marian, 
but  the  waves  were  not  like  those  of  the  ocean. 
The}'  were  shorter  and  more  "  choppy."  But  the 
boats  made  tolerably  good  weather  among  them. 
In  a  smart  sea,  speed  is  desirable ;  and  it  is  the 
element  in  the  progress  of  the  boat  which  insures 
safety.  At  such  a  time  there  are  two  forces 
acting,  the  propelling  power  of  the  boat  and  the 
action  of  the  waves.  In  heavy  weather  there  is  a 
struggle  between  the  two  forces.  In  the  case  of 
the  sailing  craft,  the  waves  had  got  the  better  of 
the  boat. 

With  the  three  barges,  the  advantage  was  on  the 
side  of  the  boats.  They  went  ahead  fast  enough 
to  keep  the  upper  hand  of  the  waves. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    DISASTER    TO    THE    SILVER    MOON. 


ri^HE  stout  students  at  the  oars  of  the  Marian 
drove  the  barge  ahead,  helped  somewhat  by 
the  wind,  so  that  the  great  billows  seemed  to  have 
no  effect  upon  her.  In  a  few  minutes  she  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  heaviest  of  the  waves.  Sometimes 
she  trembled  and  shook,  but  she  did  not  yield  sen 
sibly  to  the  power  which  was  opposed  to  her 

"  I  think  that  is  Tom  BisselPs  boat,"  said  Paul 
Bristol,  who  was  watching  the  craft  in  trouble 
very  attentively.  w  When  I  went  to  see  my  sister 
in  Westport,  about  a  month  ago,  she  was  sewing  a 
full  moon  into  a  blue  flag." 

"  A  full  moon  ?  "  queried  Dick. 

"It  was  a  round  piece  of  white  stuff,  and  it 
looked  like  a  full  moon." 

"  She  has  a  burgee  with  a  white  circle  on  a  blue 
ground,"  added  Dick.  "  Then  that  must  be  Tom 
Bissell'sboat?" 

"  She  is  a  sloop  as  big  as  the  Goldwing,"  con 
tinued  Paul. 

135 


136  STEM   TO    STERX; 

"  "Who  is  Tom  Bissell?  "  asked  the  coxswain. 

"  He  runs  a  store  in  AVestport,  and  his  wife 
keeps  a  millinery  shop  in  the  same  building.  My 
sister  worked  for  them,"  replied  Paul. 

"  Does  he  know  how  to  handle  a  sailboat?  " 

"  He  thinks  he  does,  and  most  people  believe  he 
does." 

"  Perhaps  he  does,  and  has  met  with  some  acci 
dent  to  his  sail  or  rigging,"  added  Dick.  "  I  be 
lieve  there  are  some  ladies  in  the  boat." 

"I  shouldn't  wonder,  for  his  wife  is  as  fond  of 
sailing  as  he  is  ;  and  sometimes  he  takes  out  the 
girls  that  work  for  them,"  said  Paul. 

"The  sloop  is  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  rolling 
very  badly.  She  is  having  a  rough  time  of  it," 
continued  Dick,  as  the-  Marian  came  near  enough 
for  him  to  see  the  position  of  the  craft. 

"  I  am  very  sure  that  is  the  Silver  Moon,"  added 
Paul. 

"  If  it  is,  it  looks  like  a  wet  moon,  as  Bates  calls 
it,  when  he  looks  to  the  silvery  orb  for  the  state  of 
the  weather,"  said  Dick. 

The  waves  were  certainly  having  it  all  their  own 
way  so  far  as  the  Silver  Moon  was  concerned.  The 
peak  of  the  mainsail  had  been  dropped,  and  the 
main  sheet  had  run  out  so  that  the  boom  stood  at 


The  craft  contained  six  ladies  and  one  man."  —  Page  137. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  137 

right  angles  with  the  keel.  Either  the  halyards 
were  foul,  or  the  rudder  had  given  out,  or  she  was 
suffering  from  both  of  these  mishaps.  As  the  sloop 
rolled  with  a  heavy  jerk  in  the  violent  seas,  the 
ladies  screamed  as  though  they  expected  each 
movement  would  send  them  to  the  bottom. 

The  craft  contained  six  ladies  and  one  man.  The 
latter  was  baling  out  the  boat  with  a  bucket,  and 
was  working  with  all  his  might.  He  had  pluck 
enough  ;  but  the  sloop  seemed  to  be  dipping  up 
more  water  than  ho  could  possibly  throw  out, 
though  he  had  doubtless  delayed  a  little  the  catas 
trophe  which  awaited  him. 

Dick  looked  back  at  the  other  barges,  and  he 
was  confident  that  they  had  not  gained  even  a 
length  upon  the  Marian  since  they  all  started  for 
the  craft  in  peril.  He  had  not  driven  his  crew, 
though  he  had  kept  them  at  work  briskly.  In  the 
barge  fleet,  Oscar  Chester,  as  coxswain  of  the 
senior  boat,  as  the  Gildrock  was  ranked,  was  the 
acting  commodore.  When  the  barges  were  within 
hail  of  each  other,  he  wras  in  command  of  the  fleet. 
If  the  Winooski  and  Marian  were  within  hail,  the 
command  devolved  upon  Thad  Glovering. 

As  long  as  the  other  barges  were  as  far  off  as  at 
present,  Dick  Short  was  in  full  command.  He  could 


138  STEM  TO  STERN; 

use  such  measures  as  he  thought  best,  but  the  cox 
swain  of  either  of  the  other  boats  could  take  the 
management  of  the  affair  into  his  own  hands,  if  he 
chose  to  do  so.  As  the  Marian  approached  the 
sloop,  Dick  quickened  the  movements  of  his  crew, 
for  he  desired  to  take  some  action  before  he  was 
superseded  in  the  command. 

The  Silver  Moon  was  headed  to  the  northeast, 
and  lay  in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  She  was  rolling 
like  a  round  log  in  the  heavy  waves.  She  had 
settled  down  deep  in  the  water,  and  behaved  like 
a  stick  of  wood.  The  skipper  was  doing  nothing 
at  all  to  combat  with  the  waves.  As  there  was  no 
power  exerted  to  force  the  boat  ahead,  she  had  no 
steerage  wray,  and  the  rudder  was  as  useless  as  the 
spare  tiller. 

The  Marian  went  as  closely  astern  of  the  Silver 
Moon  as  she  could  without  fouling  the  port  oars. 
The  moment  they  were  clear  of  the  hull  of  the 
sloop  it  was  time  to  execute  the  difficult  manoeuvre 
of  the  occasion.  In  coming  entirely  about  it  was 
necessary  to  put  the  barge  in  the  trough  of  the  sea 
for  an  instant,  and  this  was  the  dangerous  point. 

But  Dick  Short  had  decided  to  pass  this  point  of 
danger  as  nearly  under  the  lee  of  the  Silver  Moon 
as  he  could.  The  water  on  the  starboard  of  the 


OR,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  139 

sloop  was  a  trifle  smoother  for  a  couple  of  fathoms. 
It  required  a  nice  measurement  of  distances  with' 
the  eye  to  handle  the  boat,  and  a  prompt  obedience 
of  orders  on  the  p£rt  of  the  crew. 

"  Port  side  !  Stand  by  to  lay  on  your  oars  !  " 
called  the  coxswain,  when  the  Marian  was  astern 
of  the  sloop.  "Oars!"  he  added,  as  soon  as  the 
last  blade  on  the  port  was  clear  of  the  hull.  "  On 
the  starboard,  give  way  lively  !  " 

The  effect  of  the  first  stroke  of  the  starboard 
oars,  after  the  order  was  given,  was  to  throw  the 
head  of  the  barge  to  port.  A  few  more  pulls 
brought  the  boat  into  the  trough  of  the  sea;  but  it 
remained  in  that  position  only  an  instant. 

"  Port  oars  !  "  continued  Dick.  "  Hold  water ! 
Stern  all !  " 

The  port  oarsmen  backed  water  as  the  starboard 
rowers  gathered  up  their  blades,  so  that  no  con 
fusion  occurred,  and  in  less  than  half  a  minute  the 
Marian  was  headed  up  to  the  sea,  with  her  stem 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  sloop. 

"  On  the  port,  oars  !  "  At  this  command,  the 
oarsmen  indicated  lay  upon  their  oars  again,  and 
seemed  as  unmoved  as  though  they  had  been  in  the 
school-room,  and  not  one  of  them  looked  behind 
him. 


140  STEM  TO  STERN; 

All  the  crew  had  obtained  a  single  glance  at  the 
interior  of  the  Silver  Moon  the  moment  before  the 
barge  began  to  swing  around  ;  but  this  was  all  they 
knew  about  the  sloop,  except  what  they  had  heard 
the  coxswain  say. 

"Stand  by,  all,  to  lay  on  your  oars  ! "  called  Dick, 
as  coolly  as  though  nothing  was  the  matter  with  the 
Silver  Moon,  and  her  passengers  were  in  a  frolic 
rather  than  in  mortal  peril.  "Oars  !  "  And  every 
blade  was  poised  and.  feathered  on  a  level  above 
the  water. 

"  Bowman,  stand  by  with  the  boat-hook  !  "  con 
tinued  Dick.  "  One  stroke  !  Give  way  !  " 

This  single  stroke  brought  the  bow  up  near 
enough  to  the  sloop  to  enable  the  bowman  to  fasten 
the  boat-hook  to  the  gunwale  of  the  helpless  craft. 
The  crew  lay  upon  their  oars,  ready  to  obey  the  next 
order,  but  not  one  of  them  manifested  the  slightest 
interest  in  the  Silver  Moon,  so  far  as  any  look  or 
movement  was  concerned.  Paul  Bristol  was  ex 
cited  and  uneasy,  and  once  he  was  on  the  point  of 
standing  up  to  get  a  better  view  of  the  interior  of 
the  sloop.  But  he  remembered  the  order  of  the 
coxswain  in  season  to  restrain  himself. 

"  On  board  the  Silver  Moon  !  "  shouted  the  cox 
swain,  but  not  louder  than  was  necessary  to  make 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  141 

the  skipper  hear  him  above  the  noise  of  the  wind 
and  the  water.  ;c  What  is  the  matter?" 

"I  miss-stayed  in  going  about,  and  shipped  a 
sea.  The  boat  is  half  full  of  water,  and  I  can't 
do  anything  with  her,"  replied  Bissell,  in  tones 
Avhich  indicated  that  he  was  in  utter  despair. 
"  The  girls  are  frightened  out  of  their  wits,  and 
the  water  comes  in  faster  than  I  can  get  it  out." 

"Do  you  want  assistance?"  asked  the  coxswain. 

"  Of  course  I  do ! "  exclaimed  the  skipper. 
"  We  shall  all  go  to  the  bottom  in  a  few  minutes, 
for  there  is  a  good  deal  of  ballast  in  the  boat." 

"  All  right !  AVe  will  stand  by  you,"  replied 
Dick. 

"Can't  you  do  something  more  than  that?"  de 
manded  Bissell,  in  shaky  tones. 

"  I  will  send  two  hands  on  board  to  assist  you," 
added  Dick.  "Dory,  you  will  go  on  board  of  the 
Silver  Moon.  Take  any  one  you  please  with  you, 
and  report  what  you  think  should  be  done." 

"  As  Paul  Bristol  is  of  the  least  use  in  the  barge, 
I  will  take  him,"  replied  Dory,  as  he  unshipped 
his  oar. 

"  He  is  not  the  best  boatman  on  board,"  added 
the  coxswain. 

"  If  he  will  only  obey  orders,  that  is  all  I  want 


142  STEM  TO  STERN; 

of  him,"  answered  Dory,  as  he  made  his  way  to 
the  bow  of  the  barge. 

A  standing  order  to  all  hands  was  never  to 
stand  up  in  a  boat  when  it  could  possibly  be  avoid 
ed,  and  Dory  crawled  on  all  fours,  from  thwart  to 
thwart,  between  the  oarsmen.  He  Avas  followed 
by  Paul,  in  the  same  safe  though  undignified  man 
ner,  for  he  thought  it  was  not  derogatory  to  follow 
the  example  of  the  skipper  of  the  Goldwing.  The 
bowman  hauled  the  boat  up  so  that  the  two  hands 
could  get  on  board  of  her. 

Just  at  that  moment  all  the  girls  screamed,  or, 
as  Paul  expressed  it,  "  squealed,"  and  the  lee  side 
of  the  Silver  Moon  rolled  under,  taking  in  a  bar 
rel  or  two  of  water. 

"  We  shall  all  be  drowned ! "  shrieked  one  of 
the  ladies,  as  they  all  sprang  out  of  their  seats  and 
rushed  over  to  the  weather  side,  throwing  the  boat 
out  of  trim  so  that  she  took  -in  another  barrel  of 
water  over  the  port  side. 

"  She  won't  sink  yet,  ladies,  unless  you  sink 
her,"  said  Dory,  rather  sharply.  !f  Three  of  you 
on  each  side,  and  don't  move  for  your  lives.  You 
will  certainly  swamp  the  boat  if  you  don't  keep 
still.  Don't  one  of  you  move  again  without 
orders." 


OE,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  143 

"That's  what's  the  matter,"  said  the  skipper. 
"I  can't  keep  them  still." 

"They  must  keep  still,"  added  Dory  with  em 
phasis. 

Just  at  that  moment  came  another  roll,  and 
Dory  told  Paul  to  stand  in  the  middle  of  the  boat, 
and  allow  none  of  the  passengers  to  move.  He 
took  position  near  him,  and  together  they  kept  the 
ladies  quiet,  and  very  little  water  was  taken 
aboard. 

"I  am  about  used  up,"  said  Bissell,  who  was 
still  baling  with  all  his  might,  though  he  was 
nearly  exhausted.  "I  have  been  throwing  out 
the  water  for  more  than  an  hour." 

"You  might  as  well  try  to  bail  out  Lake  Cham- 
plain  as  this  boat,  while  she  lies  in  her  present 
position.  The  water  comes  in  faster  than  you  can 
throw  it  out,"  said  Dory.  "  Here  come  our  other 
barges.  Don't  be  alarmed,  ladies.  Even  if  the 
boat  sinks,  we  can  save  every  one  of  you.  Do  as 
you  are  told,  and  you  shall  be  made  comfortable 
in  a  few  minutes." 

Oscar  Chester  put  the  Gildrock  about  with  con 
summate  skill,  though  the  barge  shipped  some  water 
during  the  manoeuvre.  Thad  Glovering  did  quite 
as  well  in  the  Winooski.  In  a  few  moments,  the 


144  STEM   TO   STERN. 

three  barges  had  brought  their  bows  up  to  the 
water-logged  sloop.  The  oars  were  trailed,  and 
bunters  put  over  the  sides  to  prevent  the  boats 
from  grinding  against  each  other.  The  Silver 
Moon  smoothed  the  water  for  them  a  little,  and 
they  rode  very  easily  on  the  swell. 

Dick  Short  reported  to  the  acting  commodore 
what  he  had  done,  and  Oscar  said  he  should  not 
interfere.  At  this  time,  Dory  reported  the  condi 
tion  of  the  sloop,  and  advised  that  two  of  the  six 
ladies  be  taken  into  each  barge.  With  great  diffi 
culty,  on  account  of  the  uneasy  motion  of  the 
boats,  the  passengers  were  transferred  to  the  stern- 
sheets  of  the  barges.  They  were  all  wet  through, 
but  the  commodore  would  not  allow  the  boats  to 
leave  the  scene  of  the  disaster  until  the  safety  of 
the  Silver  Moon  was  assured. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    WORK    OF    AN    INCOMPETENT    SKIPPER. 

r  I  THE  removal  of  the  six  ladies  made  the  Silver 
Moon  a  little  more  buoyant ;  but  she  was  in 
hardly  less  peril  than  before,  for  she  rolled  even 
worse  than  when  her  passengers  were  on  board. 
Dory  formed  a  very  unfavorable  opinion  of  the 
seamanship  of  Bissell  almost  as  soon  as  he  had  put 
his  foot  over  the  gunwale  of  the  sloop.  Nothing  at 
all  was  the  matter  with  the  Silver  Moon.  Her 
rudder  was  not  disabled,  and  the  halyards  on  tho 
mainsail  were  in  working  condition.  The  craft  had 
lost  nothing,  but  the  skipper  had  lost  his  head. 

But  the  Beech  Ililler  did  not  utter  a  word  of  re 
buke,  or  even  a  critical  comment  on  the  manage 
ment  of  the  sloop.  He  saw  how  it  was,  and  under 
stood  the  situation  perfectly,  but  he  did  not  feel 
called  upon  to  censure  the  action  which  had  been 
taken,  or  the  steps  which  had  been  neglected.  The 
craft  was  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  half  full  of 
water.  He  looked  about  him,  and  discovered  a 

145 


146  STEM  TO  STERN; 

pair  of  oars  stowed  away  under  the  seats  in  the 
large  room. 

"As  you  are  tired  out,  Mr.  Bissell,  Paul  will 
bale  for  a  while  till  you  get  rested,"  suid  Dory,  as 
soon  as  the  passengers  had  been  transferred  to  the 
barges,  and  without  any  of  the  delay  indicated  by 
the  printed  page. 

"I  can  do  that  first-rate,"  replied  Paul,  who  had 
wondered  what  he  could  do  in  a  sailboat,  in  the 
management  of  which  he  was  comparatively  igno 
rant. 

Paul  took  the  bucket ;  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
he  threw  out  more  water  than  the  skipper  could 
have  done  in  his  exhausted  condition.  But  the 
baling  appeared  to  have  little  or  no  eifect  on  the 
large  quantity  of  water  in  the  standing  room. 

"  I  am  about  tuckered  out,  but  what  do  you 
think  I  had  better  do?"  asked  the  skipper,  as  he 
gave  up  the  bucket  to  the  fresh  hand. 

"I  think  you  had  better  rest  yourself,"  replied 
Dory,  as  he  drew  out  the  oars  from  under  the 
seats.  "  I  will  look  out  for  the  boat,  and  I  think 
she  will  come  out  of  the  scrape  all  right." 

. "  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  Do  you  mean  to 
row  her  over  to  Westport?  "  asked  Bissell,  panting 
with  his  last  exertions. 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  147 

"  No  ;  I  don't  think  we  should  make  much  trying 
to  row  this  boat  nearly  four  miles  against  a  head 
sea,"  answered  Dory. 

"  But  you  can't  land  over  on  this  side  of  the  lake. 
.Tust  see  the  waves  breaking  on  the  shore  in  Button 
Bay.  The  Silver  Moon  would  be  smashed  into  a 
thousand  pieces,"  protested  the  skipper. 

"  Of  course  we  can't  make  a  landing  on  a  lee 
shore  in  this  weather,"  answered  Dory,  as  he  went 
forward. 

Bissell  could  not  make  anything  of  Dory,  and  he 
looked  at  him  only  to  wonder  what  he  was  going 
to  do.  The  skipper  had  always  believed  that  he 
knew  all  about  sailing  a  boat ;  and  in  a  moderate, 
or  even  a  fresh  breeze,  he  could  do  very  well  when 
everything  went  along  smoothly.  But  he  had 
never  been  trained,  as  the  students  at  Beech  Hill 
had,  for  seasons  of  emergency. 

The  Silver  Moon  miss-stayed  probably  because 
she  had  not  a  "good  full,"  had  fallen  off  into  the 
trough  of  the  sea,  and  rolled  herself  half  full  of 
water  before  the  skipper  thought  of  doing  anything 
to  overcome  the  difficulty.  Under  these  trying 
circumstances,  he  was  not  instructed  either  by  pre 
cept  or  actual  trial  what  to  do. 

The  throat  halyard  of  the  sail,  Dory  found  when 


148  STEM    TO    STERN; 

he  went  forward,  had  not  been  cast  off.  He  got 
hold  of  the  peak  halyard  and  hauled  on  it  till  he 
got  a  good  set  on  the  mainsail. 

"What  are  you  about? "cried  Bissell.  "You 
will  upset  her  as  sure  as  you  live  !  I  let  that  part 
of  the  sail  down  because  it  blowed  so  hard.  I  was 
going  to  lower  the  whole  sail,  but  I  had  n't  time. 
I  was  afraid  the  boat  would  sink  if  I  did  n't  bale 
with  all  my  might." 

Dory  secured  the  peak  halyard  without  paying 
any  attention  to  the  shout  of  the  skipper.  When 
he  had  put  on  the  half  hitch,  he  went  aft  again. 

"Let  the  sail  down  just  as  quick  as  you  can  !  " 
yelled  Bissell. 

"I  think  not,"  replied  Dory  quietly. 

"  If  you  don't,  I  shall  lower  it  myself.  I  can't 
stand  this  !  "  added  the  frightened  skipper. 

"  This  boat  belongs  to  you,  Mr.  Bissell,  and  you 
can  do  what  you  please  with  her,  and  I  shall  not 
quarrel  with  you  about  it.  If  you  don't  want  any 
assistance,  Paul  and  I  will  return  to  the  barge." 

"  But  I  don't  want  anybody  to  sink  her,"  pro 
tested  the  skipper. 

"  I  shall  not  sink  her ;  but  it  is  all  nonsense  to 
think  of  baling  her  out  while  she  is  in  the  trough 

O  C? 

of  the  sea,  shipping  water  as  fast  or  faster  than  you 


OK,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  149 

can  throw  it  out.  I  am  not  willing  that  Paul  should 
wear  himself  out  for  nothing." 

"  That 's  the  only  way  to  keep  her  from  sinking." 

"  You  have  a  perfect  right  to  your  own  opinion, 
as  I  have  to  mine.  I  am  confident  that  I  can  get 
the  sloop  out  of  this  scrape,  if  you  will  allow  me  to 
do  it ;  if  not,  Paul  and  I  will  return  to  the  barges." 

"  But  I  want  you  to  help  bale  out  the  boat.  She 
will  sink  if  the  water  rises  any  higher  in  her,"  the 
skipper  insisted. 

At  that  moment,  a  heavier  wave  than  usual  struck 
her,  and  rolled  the  boat  over  till  she  took  in  at  least 
a  barrel  of  water.  Bissell  sprang  from  his  seat  as 
though  he  expected  the  Silver  Moon  to  go  to  the 
bottom  at  that  instant.  But  she  did  not  sink, 
though  her  floating  power  seemed  to  be  very  nearly 
exhausted. 

"Do  you  see  that?"  demanded  the  skipper,  as 
though  he  regarded  the  water  just  shipped  as  a 
triumphant  vindication  of  his  opinion. 

"  I  see  it ;  and  I  should  say  she  will  go  down 
after  she  has  done  that  thing  once  or  twice  more," 
replied  Dory  calmly.  "  Say  quick  whether  I  am 
to  get  the  sloop  under  way,  or  whether  I  am  to 
leave  her !  Do  as  you  please  about  it.  The 
barges  will  save  you  when  she  sinks." 


150  STEM  TO  STEKN; 

"  I  Avill  see  what  you  are  going  to  do,"  replied 
Bissell  doggedly  ;  and  he  was  by  no  means  con 
vinced,  though  he  was  satisfied  that  he  could  do 
nothing  alone  to  save  the  craft. 

Dory  made  no  reply,  for  he  was  rather  disgusted 
with  the  obstinacy  and  nautical  ignorance  of  the 
skipper.  Taking  one  of  the  oars  in  his  hand,  he 
went  to  the  side  of  the  boat  and  hailed  the  commo 
dore  of  the  barge-fleet. 

"  I  am  going  to  get  under  way  now,  for  there  is 
nothing  the  matter  with  the  boat,"  said  Dory. 

"All  right,  Dory,"  replied  Oscar,  as  he  looked 
about  him  to  determine  the  best  wray  to  separate 
the  barges,  and  get  them  clear  of  the  Silver  Moon. 

They  were  all  lying  close  together,  the  Gildrock 
being  nearest  to  the  bow  of  the  sloop.  The  com 
modore  ordered  the  Winooski  to  cast  off  first. 
With  her  port  oars  she  kept  her  head  up  to  the  sea 
till  those  on  the  other  side  of  the  boat  were  clear 
of  the  Marian,  which  was  next  to  her.  When  her 
twelve  oars  were  in  the  water,  the  boys  backed  her 
clear  of  the  other  boats,  and  then  the  crew  were 
ordered  to  lay  on  their  oars.  In  the  same  manner 
the  other  two  boats  backed  into  safe  positions.  The 
barges  pitched  tremendously,  and  the  ladies  Avere 
inclined  to  "  squeal."  When  any  of  them  attempted 


OR,    BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  151 

to  stand  up,  the  gallant  coxswains  pulled  them  back 
into  their  seats. 

"Are  they  going  to  quit  us?"  asked  Bissell,  as 
he  looked  with  something  like  dismay  upon  the 
movements  of  the  barges. 

"  We  could  not  get  the  sloop  under  way  with  all 
those  boats  hanging  to  her,"  replied  Dory.  "  They 
will  be  here  quick  enough  if  they  are  wanted. 
But  we  are  not  going  to  ship  any  more  water ;  we 
shall  leave  the  rest  of  it  in  the  lake." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  help  taking  in 
all  the  water  that  rolls  in,"  growled  the  skipper. 

"  If  you  keep  your  eyes  wide  open  tight  for  one 
minute  more,  I  will  show  you  that  the  Silver  Moon 
is  the  mistress  of  the  situation,  and  Lake  Cham- 
plain  will  have  to  stay  out  in  the  cold,"  replied 
Dory,  as  he  shipped  his  oar  between  a  couple  of 
thole-pins  on  the  quarter. 

"  There  is  another  oar  under  the  seats,"  added 
Bissell. 

"One  is  enough  to  do  the  business,"  said  Dory, 
as  he  began  to  pull  with  all  his  might. 

The  water-logged  craft  moved  as  though  it  had 
been  fastened  to  the  bottom.  The  boom  was  still 
hanging  out  at  right  angles  with  the  keel,  and  the 
main  sheet  was  flopping  about  in  the  water. 


152  STEM   TO    STERN  ; 

"  Can't  I  help  you  ?  "  asked  Bissell. 

"You  may  take  the  other  oar,  if  you  please." 

The  skipper  pulled  out  the  oars,  and  was  about 
to  ship  it  on  the  weather  side  when  Dory  inter 
posed,  and,  shifting  his  own  blade  to  the  fore  rig 
ging,  directed  his  companion  to  ship  his  between 
the  thole-pins  he  had  left. 

"On  this  side?  Who  ever  heard  of  rowing  in 
that  way?"  blustered  Bissell.  "  Both  oars  on  the 
same  side  ! " 

tf  We  have  no  time  to  argue  the  question  now,  if 
you  want  to  keep  your  boat  on  the  top  of  the  water 
instead  of  the  bottom,"  said  Dory  sharply. 

Bissell  did  as  he  was  told,  though  he  had  no 
faith  in  rowing  with  two  oars  on  one  side  of  the 
boat.  The  united  strength  of  the  two  was  imme 
diately  seen  in  the  motion  of  the  boat.  Her  bow 
was  soon  thrown  up  to  the  wind,  and  then  the  boom 
swung  in  over  the  standing  room.  This  was  the 
acting  skipper's  object,  and  as  soon  as  he  could 
reach  the  main  sheet,  he  dropped  his  oar.  Grasp 
ing  the  rope,  he  carried  it  aft,  and  got  a  turn  with 
it  over  the  cleat  above  the  rudder  head. 

The  sail  filled  as  soon  as  he  hauled  in  the  sheet, 
and  Dory  got  hold  of  the  tiller.  The  sloop  heeled 
over  till  Bissell  declared  that  the  new  skipper 


OR,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  153 

woukl  upset  her.  Paul  continued  to  bale  with  all 
his  might.  Dory  trimmed  the  sail  down  as  flat  as 
he  could,  and  soon  had  perfect  control  of  the  craft, 
heavy  as  her  movements  were  in  her  water-logged 
condition.  Pie  was  obliged  to  touch  her  up  in  the 
fierce  blasts  which  struck  her,  but  he  had  her 
well  balanced,  and  she  did  not  realize  any  of  the 
evil  predictions  of  her  incompetent  skipper.  On 
the  other  hand,  she  did  not  dip  up  any  more  water 
over  her  gunwale,  and  all  that  came  into  her  was  in 
the  form  of  spray. 

At  Dory's  suggestion,  Bissell  got  out  a  firkin  in 
which  the  lunch  for  the  party  had  been  brought 
on  board,  and  assisted  Paul  in  the  work  of  baling. 
But  there  were  hogsheads  of  water  in  her,  and  the 
process  of  relieving  her  was  very  slow.  The 
three  barges  were  still  laying  on  their  oars,  watch 
ing  the  movements  of  the  Silver  Moon.  Dory  ran 
for  Button  Island,  which  was  separated  from  the 
main  land  only  by  a  narrow  channel.  Slacking 
off  the  sheet,  he  ran  her  aground  in  the  sand  be 
hind  the  point,  where  the  water  was  as  smooth  as 
the  lake  in  a  calm. 

"She  is  aground!"  exclaimed  Bissell,  as  the 
keel  grated  on  the  bottom. 

"I  know  it ;  and  that  is  where  I  intended  to 
have  her,"  replied  Dory,  as  he  left  the  tiller. 


154  STEM    TO   STERN. 

Bissell  began  to  protest  that  he  would  not  have 
the  boat  aground  ;  but  the  new  skipper  paid  no 
attention  to  him.  Taking  the  bucket  from  Paul, 
he  told  him  to  rest.  Dory  worked  hard  at  baling 
for  half  an  hour,  and  Bissell  did  his  part  as  soon 
as  he  found  that  his  protest  was  not  heeded.  By 
this  time  the  water  had  dropped  so  it  had  to  be 
dipped  out  of  the  well.  It  was  all  out  at  last,  and 
the  well  sponged  dry.  To  the  stupid  astonish 
ment  of  Bissell,  the  Silver  Moon  was  again  afloat. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"ROLL  ON,  SILVER  MOON." 

Ij^OR  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour  the  three 
barges  had  waited,  pulling  just  enough  to 
keep  their  heads  up  to  the  sea.  By  this  time,  the 
ladies  had  become  accustomed  to  the  motion  of 
the  boats  ;  and,  in  spite  of  their  wet  and  bedrag 
gled  condition,  they  began  to  be  very  jolly.  The 
long  boats  rose  and  fell  with  the  waves,  and  oc 
casionally  the  spray  was  dashed  over  the  bows, 
and  carried  the  whole  length  of  the  craft.  At 
last,  they  began  to  sing,  and  the  students  joined 
them.  It  was  getting  to  be  a  very  merry  time  on 
the  rough  waters,  but  the  confidence  of  the  crews 
inspired  the  ladies  with  courage. 

As  soon  as  the  Silver  Moon  was  free  from  her 
burden  of  water,  Dory  examined  the  sail,  and, 
finding  it  all  right,  he  shoved  off.  As  Paul  Bris 
tol  had  said,  the  Silver  Moon  was  about  the  size 
of  the  Goldwing,  and  was  a  very  good  boat. 

"  I  have  not  the  least  idea  that  you  can  sail  this 
155 


156  STEM  TO  STERN; 

boat  over  to  "Westport  in  this  blow,"  said  Bissell, 
as  Dory  shoved  the  sloop  out  of  the  shoal  water. 

"What's  to  prevent?"  asked  the  new  skipper 
coldly. 

"  It  blows  too  hard,  and  the  sea  is  too  heavy  for 
any  boat,  I  don't  care  how  good  she  is,"  answered 
the  owner  of  the  Silver  Moon.  "  I  think  this 
boat  is  as  good  as  any  of  them,  but  I  had  rather 
walk  twenty  miles  than  cross  Lake  Chatnplain  in 
her  in  this  blow." 

"  The  sloop  belongs  to  you,  sir,  and  you  can  do 
as  you  please  about  crossing,"  answered  Dory. 
"  You  can  anchor  and  stay  here  till  to-morrow  if 
you  like." 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  safe  to  cross  the  lake  m  a 
sailboat  when  the  wind  blows  as  it  does  now,  and 
has  since  ten  o'clock?"  asked  Bissell. 

"  I  have  been  off  Burlington,  where  the  lake  is 
twelve  miles  wide,  when  the  sea  was  a  good  deal 
worse  than  it  is  here,  and  I  did  not  think  I  was  in 
any  greater  danger  than  if  I  had  been  on  shore." 

"  If  you  are  not  afraid,  I  ought  not  to  be,"  added 
the  owner  of  the  craft,  evidently  laboring  to  stimu 
late  his  courage.  "  I  guess  I  will  risk  it,  as  those 
barges  will  be  near  enough  to  pick  us  up  if  any 
thing  happens." 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  157 

"All  right,"  answered  Dory,  as  he  hauled  down 
the  sheet,  and  let  the  boat  go  ahead.  "Why  did 
you  come  out  in  such  a  blow,  if  you  don't  think  it 
is  safe?" 

"The  girls  hadn't  anything  to  do  to-day,  and 
wanted  to  go  down  to  Port  Henry.  We  started 
at  six  o'clock  this  morning,  and  got  there  at  eight. 
It  began  to  blow  pretty  hard  by  nine,  and  we 
started  back,  though  we  intended  to  stay  at  the 
Port  all  day.  I  got  along  very  well,  though  the 
girls  were  scared,  till  we  got  down  to  Barber's 
Point ;  and  after  that  it  blew  like  tophet." 

rr  You  had  the  full  rake  of  the  wind  across 
North  West  Bay  then,"  added  Dory. 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  had  to  beat  all  the  way  home  right 
against  it,"  continued  the  skipper.  "  I  thought 
we  should  tip  over  every  minute.  If  I  let  her 
oft'  enough  to  make  her  go  ahead,  she  tipped  so 
that  the  girls  all  screamed.  When  I  was  half 
way  over  to  Button  Island  I  tacked,  but  the  boat 
would  not  come  about.  She  lay  there  with  her 
sail  banging.  Then  the  wind  caught  the  sail 
again,  and  tipped  her  so  she  took  in  some  hogs 
heads  of  water.  She  got  in  between  the  waves, 
and  began  to  roll  like  a  chip.  I  thought  it  was 
time  to  haul  down  the  sail,  and  I  went  forward 


158  STEM  TO  STERN; 

to  do  so.  Then  the  main  sheet  run  out,  and  I 
couldn't  get  it  again." 

"  It  was  a  bad  situation/'  added  Dory,  as  Bissell 
paused  and  looked  at  him,  apparently  as  if  to  ascer 
tain  what  he  thought  of  the  skipper's  management ; 
but  Dory  expressed  no  opinion. 

"  I  let  go  the  peak  halyard,  and  did  the  best  I 
could  to  get  the  boom  in,  but  I  could  n't  do  a  thing 
with  it.  The  boat  kept  rolling  in  the  water  all 
the  time,  anJ.  I  had  to  take  the  bucket  and  bale 
with  all  my  might.  I  was  afraid  to  haul  the  sail 
down  then,  for  it  would  have  gone  into  the  water, 
and  helped  drag  her  over  on  one  side." 

Dory,  as  an  expert,  had  a  very  decided  opinion 
in  regard  to  the  skipper's  management ;  but  he  did 
not  feel  called  upon  to  express  it,  for  Bissell  was  an 
obstinate  man,  and  he  did  not  care  to  dispute  with 
him.  The  Silver  Moon  was  running  out  close- 
hauled  from  the  lee  of  Button  Island,  which  car 
ried  her  to  windward  of  the  fleet  of  barges.  Dory 
had  taken  the  helm  when  she  got  under  way  ;  and  as 
long  as  the  skipper  did  not  object,  he  retained  it. 

"  The  boat  don't  work  very  well  without  the 
jib,  and  that  was  what  made  all  the  trouble,"  con 
tinued  the  skipper.  "  But  it  blowed  so  like  all 
possessed,  that  I  could  n't  carry  it." 


OK,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  159 

Dory  doubted  whether  this  was  all,  or  even  the 
principal  trouble,  but  he  made  no  remark.  He 
was  not  satisfied  with  the  working  of  the  boat, 
and  without  saying  anything  to  the  skipper,  he 
put  her  about,  and  ran  back  to  the  lee  of  the 
island.  Getting  her  forefoot  on  the  sand  far 
enough  to  hold  her,  he  let  go  the  halyards,  and 
lowered  the  mainsail  a  few  feet. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  now  ?  "  asked  Bis- 
sell,  who  had  watched  the  movements  of  the  act 
ing  skipper  with  interest  and  anxiety. 

"  I  am  going  to  put  a  single  reef  in  the  main 
sail.  Where  do  you  keep  the  reef  pendant?" 
replied  Dory. 

The  skipper  had  no  reef  pendant,  and  probably 
did  not  know  Avhat  it  was.  But  Dory  found  a 
couple  of  ropes  which  answered  his  purpose. 
Having  lashed  down  the  clew  and  tack,  with 
the  assistance  of  Paul,  he  tied  the  reef-points. 
Hoisting  the  sail  up  to  a  good  set,  he  shoved  off 
with  the  boat-hook,  and  was  soon  standing  out 
from  the  shore  again.  Keeping  his  place  at  the 
helm,  Dory  stood  out  to  the  fleet  of  barges.  The 
wind  had  not  abated  a  particle  of  its  force,  and 
even  with  the  reef  in  the  mainsail,  she  was  inclined 
to  bury  herself  in  the  waves.  Dory  was  not  yet 


160  STEM  TO  STERN; 

satisfied,  and  under  his  direction  Paul  pulled  up 
a  couple  of  loose  boards  in  the  floor  of  the  stand 
ing-room,  and  lifted  out  a  couple  of  cast-iron 
blocks  of  ballast.  These  were  placed  in  the  stern, 
and  the  bow  was  lifted  a  little  more  out  of  the 
water. 

"What's  all  that  for?"  asked  Bissell. 

''  To  change  her  trim  a  little,"  replied  Dory. 
"  She  was  ballasted  too  much  by  the  head.  She 
works  better  now." 

The  sloop  was  less  inclined  than  before  to  bury 
her  bow  in  the  waves,  and  wras  more  buoyant  for 
ward.  She  dashed  ahead  at  a  gallant  speed,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  she  was  approaching  the  barges. 
The  passengers  in  the  stern  sheets  of  the  boats 
were  very  merry  by  this  time,  and  seemed  to  be 
actually  enjoying  the  motion  of  the  boats.  As 
the  sloop  came  within  hail  of  the  barges,  the 
ladies  struck  up  "Roll  on,  silver  moon,"  in  which 
all  the  students  who  could  sing  joined,  and  it 
made  a  very  effective  chorus. 

"Very  appropriate,"  said  Dory,  laughing;  "but 
she  don't  do  that  now.  She  has  done  rolling  for 
the  present." 

tf  The  girls  are  jolly  enough  now ;  and  they 
don't  seem  to  be  a  bit  scared,"  added  Bissell. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  161 

"  Will  you  take  them  on  board  again  ? "  asked 
the  acting  skipper. 

"  I  don't  know  ;  what  do  you  think  ?  " 

"If  you  don't  know,  you  had  better  leave  it  to 
them,"  replied  Dory.  "  Hail  them,  and  ask  them 
what  they  will  do." 

"I  say,  girls,  are  you  ready  to  come  on  board 
of  the  Silver  Moon?"  called  Bissell,  in  a  loud 
voice,  as  the  sloop  passed  astern  of  them. 

"No!"  screamed  the  whole  of  them,  almost 
with  one  voice.  "  We  are  going  back  to  West- 
port  in  the  barges,"  added  one  of  them. 

"  Just  as  you  like,"  returned  Bissell. 

"Roll  on,  silver  moon,"  the  girls  struck  up 
again,  and  the  boys  took  up  the  chorus  with 
enthusiasm. 

"  That  settles  it,"  added  Bissell. 

"Then  we  may  as  well  return  to  the  Marian, 
Paul,"  said  Dory. 

"  I  am  ready  to  do  just  as  you  say,"  replied  the 
spare  hand. 

"You  don't  mean  to  leave  me,  do  you? "de 
manded  Bissell,  aghast  at  the  proposition.  "I 
don't  want  you  to  go." 

"  I  thought  you  might  prefer  to  handle  your 
own  boat,"  suggested  Dory. 


162  STEM  TO   STERN; 

"I  guess  I'd  rather  have  you  take  her  over 
to  Westport,  if  you  will,"  replied  the  skipper, 
anxiously. 

"Even  if  we  remain  on  board  of  the  sloop, 
you  had  better  take  the  helm,"  added  Dory,  who 
had  some  curiosity  to  see  how  Bissell  worked  the 
boat. 

"  I  'd  rather  have  you  steer  her.  I  don't  know 
but  you  can  manage  her  better  than  I  can." 

"  You  ought  to  be  able  to  handle  your  own  boat 
better  than  any  one  else  can.  You  have  sailed 
her  more  than  any  other  person,  and  a  boat  is 
something  like  a  horse,  and  does  better  in  the 
hands  of  one  who  is  used  to  her." 

"  I  bought  the  Silver  Moon  last  year,  and  got 
a  man  to  show  me  how  to  manage  her.  I  was  out 
in  her  every  day  last  summer,  but  I  never  went 
out  when  it  blew  very  hard.  Folks  say  it  is 
dangerous  sailing  on  Lake  Champlain,  there  are 
so  many  currents  and  flaws  from  the  hills." 

"There  is  no  doubt  about  the  flaws  and  cur 
rents,  but  I  look  upon  them  as  bugbears.  A 
skipper  must  keep  his  craft  in  hand  all  the  time, 
and  then  he  is  ready  for  flaws  and  squalls." 

"  One  of  the  girls  has  taken  your  place  at  the 
stroke  oar,  Dory,"  said  Paul,  who  was  watching 


OK,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  163 

the  barges  as  they  began  to  move  over  the  savage 
waves. 

''Sol  see,"  replied  Dory.  "Dick  is  coaching 
her,  and  I  have  no  doubt  she  will  make  good  my 
absence." 

"  It  is  Susy  Wellington  ;  and  she  knows  how 
to  row  better  than  most  of  the  men,"  added  Paul. 

At  this  moment,  the  acting  skipper  went  in 
stays,  and  though  he  had  given  her  a  good  full, 
he  had  some  doubts  about  her ;  but  she  came  up 
to  the  wind  handsomely,  and  went  on  the  port 
tack  as  promptly  as  the  Goldwing  could  have 
done  it.  As  she  filled  away,  she  heeled  over 
till  her  washboard  was  almost  buried ;  but  she 
righted  a  little  in  a  moment,  and  dashed  off  on 
her  course  like  a  racehorse.  She  rose  and  fell 
on  the  waves,  with  her  gunwale  under  all  the 
time,  but  with  eight  inches  of  washboard  above 
the  water. 

The  wind  was  rather  flawy,  and,  of  course,  the 
boat  heeled  over  more  when  the  puffs  struck  her, 
so  that  most  of  the  washboard  wras  sometimes 
under  water.  But  the  sloop,  in  her  altered  trim, 
was  as  steady  as  an  old  horse  on  a  smooth  road. 
As  the  Silver  Moon  was  close-hauled,  she  struck  the 
seas  constantly  ;  and  the  waves  broke  with  no  little 


164  STEM   TO   STERN; 

noise  against  her  bows,  tossing  the  spray  from 
stem  to  stern. 

Bissell  watched  the  lee  washboard  all  the  time, 
and  seemed  to  be  very  nervous.  He  did  not  heed 
the  singing  in  the  barges,  which  greatly  interested 
the  acting  skipper.  The  owner  evidently  expected 
the  sloop  would  ship  a  sea  every  moment,  which 
would  fill  her  half  full  of  water  as  she  had  been 
before.  But  she  tore  along  on  her  course  without 
taking  in  a  drop  of  water  over  her  lee  side,  unless 
when  a  wave  broke  there,  and  spit  the  spray  over 
the  washboard. 

"You  will  put  the  Silver  Moon  on  the  bottom 
before  you  get  her  over  to  Westport,"  said  Bissell, 
when  he  could  hold  in  no  longer,  and  his  mental 
excitement  had  become  intense. 

"  I  certainly  shall  not  do  it  after  we  get  to  West- 
port,"  replied  Dory,  with  a  smile.  "But  if  you 
wish  to  take  the  helm,  of  course  you  can  do  so.  I 
suppose  you  can  swim,  Paul  ?  " 

"  I  could  swim  in  Sandy  Bay,  but  I  don't  think  I 
could  in  these  waves,"  answered  Paul. 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  safe  to  sail  along  in  this  way 
with  the  gunwale  under  water  all  the  time,"  said 
Bissell,  as  the  water'  rose  nearly  to  the  top  of  the 
washboard. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  1G5 

"Then  you  take  the  tiller,  Mr.  Bissell,"  replied 
Dory,  rising  and  offering  his  place  on  the  weather- 
side  to  the  skipper. 

Bissell  was  clearly  full  of  doubts,  but  he  took 
the  tiller.  His  first  movement  was  to  put  the  helm 
down  a  little,  so  that  the  reefed  mainsail  began  to 
shake  slightly,  and  of  course  the  gunwale  was 
lifted  out  of  the  water.  He  kept  the  tiller  shaking 
all  the  time,  as  the  boat  was  in  danger  of  broaching 
to. 

When  he  had  steered  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
it  was  seen  that  the  barges  were  rapidly  overhaul 
ing  the  Silver  Moon,  though  she  gained  on  them 
while  Dory  had  the  tiller.  But  it  was  necessary  to 
tack,  and  the  skipper  put  the  helm  hard  down. 
The  sail  shook,  and  the  boat  did  precisely  what 
Dory  knew  she  would  do  —  she  miss-stayed,  and 
then  began  to  roll  in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  She 
had  little  headway  when  the  helm  was  put  down, 
arid  her  momentum  was  not  sufficient  to  carry  her 
around  against  the  head  sea. 

The  water  began  to  roll  into  her  on  the  sides  ; 
but  Dory  seized  one  of  the  oars,  and  with  a  few 
smart  pulls,  threw  her  head  up  into  the  wind.  The 
instant  the  sail  began  to  fill,  which  it  did  with  a 
rush,  Bissell  put  his  helm  hard  down.  Dory  plied 
the  oar  once  more. 


166  STEM   TO    STERN. 

"  I  wish  you  would  take  the  helm  again,"  said 
Bissell. 

"I  will,  if  you  say  so,"  replied  Dory,  who  had 
entirely  satisfied  his  curiosity  in  regard  to  the  sea 
manship  of  the  skipper. 


CHAPTEE  XVI. 

DORY  DORNWOOD  GIVES  A  LESSON  IN  BOAT-SAILING. 

TT  was  absolutely  certain  that  Bissell  was  not  a 
reckless  and  over-daring  skipper,  which  is  often 
the  most  glaring  fault  of  those  in  charge  of  sail 
boats.  He  erred  in  the  opposite  extreme,  — he  was 
too  timid.  He  had  not  pluck  enough  when  it  was 
blowing  fresh  to  keep  his  sail  full.  The  barges 
were  overhauling  her,  because  she  had  hardly  any 
headway  ;  and  when  she  went  in  stays,  she  had  not 
speed  enough  to  meet  the  fierce  waves. 

Dory  took  the  helm,  while  the  skipper,  with  the 
bucket,  dipper  and  sponge,  soon  removed  the  water 
from  the  well.  The  sail  was  permitted  to  fill,  and 
the  Silver  Moon  dashed  on  her  course  at  a  lively 
rate  again.  The  barges  pulling  against  a  head  sea 
could  not  keep  within  hail  of  her  when  she  was  on 
her  long  tack. 

''I  have  about  made  up  my  mind  that  you  can 
handle  this  sloop  better  than  I  can,"  said  Bissell, 
when  he  had  wiped  out  the  well  with  the  sponge. 

167 


168  STEM  TO  STERN; 

Paul  Bristol  burst  out  into  a  loud  laugh  at  this 
remark. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at,  Paul  ?  "  askejj  the 
skipper,  looking  rather  severely  at  the  spare  hand. 

"  I  was  only  thinking  it  had  taken  you  a  long 
time  to  make  up  your  mind,  Mr.  Bissell,"  replied 
Paul,  suppressing  his  risibles  when  he  saw  that 
Dory  looked  as  serious  as  a  judge. 

"  I  suppose  you  think  I  am  not  much  of  a  skip 
per,  Paul,"  added  Bissell,  evidently  annoyed  by 
the  laugh  of  the  spare  hand. 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  sailing  a  boat,  and  I 
think  I  had  better  not  say  anything,"  answered 
Paul  prudently. 

"  I  never  got  into  such  a  scrape  before  with  the 
boat,"  continued  the  owner.  "  This  boat  will  be 
for  sale  after  I  get  ashore." 

"  She  is  a  very  good  boat,  and  works  well,"  said 
Dory  ;  but,  cautious  in  regard  to  offending  the  skip 
per  by  any  criticisms,  he  was  not  willing  to  have 
the  boat  blamed  for  the  fault  of  the  man. 

"I  always  thought  so  myself  till  to-day;  and  I 
have  always  believed  I  could  handle  her  better 
than  any  other  man.  It  goes  a  little  hard  with  me 
to  give  in  to  one  boy  and  have  another  laugh  at 
me,"  replied  the  skipper.  "  I  should  like  to  have 


OR,   BUILDING  THE  BOAT.  169 

you  tell  me  just  what  ails  my  management  of  the 
boat." 

"  I  don't  volunteer  any  criticism  ;  but  if  you  will 
not  be  offended  with  a  boy  for  expressing  his  mind 
plainly,  I  will  do  so,"  added  Dory. 

"  That 's  what  I  want  you  to  do,  and  I  shall  not 
get  mad,  though  it  hurts  for  me  to  give  in  on 
handling  the  Silver  Moon. 

"  You  are  just  a  little  too  careful ;  and  that  is 
what  has  made  the  mischief  every  time,"  Dory 
began.  "  If  you  don't  give  your  boat  a  good  full, 
she  won't  go  about  in  stays.  That  was  the  trouble 
when  you  had  the  ladies  onboard." 

"  The  man  that  showed  me  how  to  sail  a  boat 
said  I  could  not  be  too  careful,"  protested  Bissell, 
astonished  at  the  remark  of  the  acting  skipper. 

"  I  don't  quite  agree  with  him,  though  he  is 
right  in  the  main.  Most  of  the  accidents  happen 
because  the  skippers  are  careless.  Your  sloop 
was  a  little  out  of  trim.  When  it  blows  too  hard 
for  you  to  carry  the  jib,  you  must  put  a  single 
reef  in  the  mainsail.  With  a  whole  mainsail,  the 
mast  ought  to  be  farther  forward.  Since  I  shifted 
the  ballast,  she  carries  a  stronger  weather  helm." 

It  was  necessary  to  tack  again,  and  Dory  ex 
plained  more  fully  what  he  meant  by  a  "good 


170  STEM  TO  STERN; 

full,"  and  then  put  the  helm  down.  The  sloop's 
head  flew  up  into  the  wind  at  a  lively  pace,  and 
the  mainsail  went  over;  but  the  helmsman  righted 
the  helm,  and  met  her  with  it  so  that  she  should 
not  fall  oft'  too  far,  thus  putting  her  lee  gunwale 
under. 

Bissell  was  deeply  interested,  and  began  to  learn 
what  he  had  not  before  acquired.  He  took  her, 
and  made  the  next  tack,  under  the  direction  of  the 
acting  skipper,  himself.  From  that  time  he  retained 
the  helm,  and  Dory  continued  to  instruct  him  until 
the  Silver  Moon  got  into  comparatively  still  water. 

Dory  and  his  pupil  had  made  more  tacks  than 
were  necessary,  in  order  to  illustrate  the  subject. 
The  boats  came  up  with  the  sloop  just  as  she  was 
going  in  at  the  wharf.  The  ladies  and  the  crews 
were  still  singing,  and  their  merry  voices  attracted 
quite  a  collection  of  people. 

"  When  I  was  over  oft"  Button  Island  I  did  not 
expect  ever  to  see  West-port  again,"  said  Bissell, 
after  he  had  made  the  Silver  Moon  fust  at  the 
wharf.  "  I  have  only  ten  dollars  in  my  pocket, 
now,  but  I  want  you  to  take  that  and  let  me  owe 
you  another  ten." 

"  You  must  excuse  me,  Mr.  Bissell,"  protested 
Dory. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  171 

"It  ain't  enough,  I  know;  and  I  will  make  it 
up  to  fifty  dollars  when  I  get  to  the  store,"  added 
the  skipper. 

"It  is  enough,  and  more  than  enough,  Mr.  Bis- 
sell.  I  cannot  take  a  single  cent  for  that  kind  of 
service.  Captain  Gildrock  would  put  me  into  the 
brig  if  I  took  money  for  assisting  anyone  in  dis 
tress  on  the  water,"  said  Dory  earnestly.  "  Sailors 
are  bound  to  help  each  other  always  when  in 
danger'." 

The  store-keeper  pressed  Dory  quite  warmly  to 
take  the  money,  but  the  latter  was  as  firm  as  a 
rock.  Then  he  tried  to  give  a  few  dollars  to  Paul, 
but  the  spare  hand,  though  he  wanted  the  money 
for  his  mother,  took  his  cue  from  Dory,  and  re 
fused  to  take  a  cent.  Bissell  expressed  his  grati 
tude  in  very  warm  terms,  and  said  he  should  like 
to  take  some  more  lessons  in  sailing  a  boat  from 
such  a  skilful  master.  He  would  gladly  pay  for 
the  time  and  trouble,  and  he  concluded  not  to  sell 
the  Silver  Moon  at  present. 

It  was  now  nearly  two  o'clock,  and  the  students 
thought  it  was  about  time  to  attend  to  the  con 
tents  of  the  lunch  baskets.  The  ladies  had  beon 
landed,  and  were  profuse  in  their  expressions  of 
delight  at  their  trip  in  the  barges.  The  Beech 


172  STEM  TO  STERN; 

Hillers  landed,  and  camped  under  a  tree  to  dispose 
of  their  lunch.  Dory  and  Paul  joined  them,  and 
it  took  some  time  for  the  former  to  explain  what  he 
had  done  on  board  of  the  sloop.  He  did  not  say 
any  unpleasant  things  about  the  skipper,  or  dwell 
upon  his  mistakes. 

Before  the  boys  had  made  any  deep  inroads  into 
their  stock  of  provisions,  Bissell  and  the  ladies  ap 
peared  laden  with  ice  cream,  pies,  and  cake,  which 
were  a  welcome  addition  to  the  lunch.  The  "  girls," 
as  Bissell  called  them,  waited  upon  their  deliverers, 
and  gushed  over  the  delightful  time  they  had  hfid 
in  the  barges. 

"  There  come  the  Chesterfield  barges,"  said  John 
Brattle  when  the  clock  indicated  half  past  two. 
"I  wonder  what  they  are  going  to  do  over  here." 

"  I  thought  they  had  business  about  this  time 
over  at  Sandy  Point,"  added  Tuck  Prince. 

"Don't  say  a  word  about  the  cottage,  fellows," 
interposed  Paul  Bristol,  with  a  good  deal  of  ear 
nestness.  "  I  know  what  they  come  here  for ;  at 
least,  I  think  I  know." 

"  Why  don't  you  let  on  then,  Paul  ?  "  demanded 
Phil  Gawner. 

"  They  have  come  over  here  after  Major  Billcord, 
for  I  am  sure  he  will  want  to  see  the  cottage  pitched 


OR,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  173 

into  the  lake.  I  am  almost  sure  now  that  none  of 
them  know  the  house  is  gone,"  replied  Paul,  rub 
bing  his  hands  with  delight  when  he  thought  of  the 
disappointment  of  his  oppressors. 

"If  you  like,  Mr.  Bissell,  I  will  sail  down  the 
lake  with  you  as  far  as  Sandy  Point,"  Dory  pro 
posed,  Avhile  the  boys  were  digesting  what  Paul 
had  said.  "  The  coxswain  consents  to  my  absence  ; 
but  I  must  return  to  Beech  Hill  in  the  Marian." 

"  All  right,  for  I  want  very  much  to  see  you  sail 
the  Silver  Moon  with  a  heavy  wrind  on  the  beam  or 
over  the  quarter,"  replied  the  store-keeper.  "  But 
I  must  go  up  to  the  house  and  change  my  clothes, 
for  I  am  as  wet  as  a  drowned  rat." 

Bissell  hastened  to  his  house,  which  was  only  a 
short  distance  from  the  head  of  the  landing.  The 
Chesterfield  barges  had  just  reached  the  wharf,  and 
the  young  gentlemen  were  coming  up  the  steps. 
The  boats  had  pulled  around  under  the  lee  of  the 
land,  so  that  they  had  not  been  seen  until  near  the 
wharf. 

The  Chesterfield  students  formed  a  procession 
on  the  wharf,  and  it  was  evident  that  they  intended 
to  escort  Major  Billcord,  who  was  fond  of  parades, 
to  the  boats.  The  ladies  waiting  on  the  students 
from  the  other  side  said  this  was  the  meaning  of 


174  STEM  TO  STERN; 

the  procession,  which  was  not  a  strange  sight  in  the 
streets  of  the  town. 

"  You  will  take  no  notice  of  them  whatever,  fel 
lows,"  said  Commodore  Chester  very  impressively. 
"If they  salute  us  properly,  which  they  are  not 
likely  to  do,  we  must  be  as  polite  as  they  are,  and 
more  so,  if  possible.  If  they  call  us  'tinkers'  and 
'  chip-makers,'  which  they  are  more  likely  to  do, 
make  no  answer  of  any  kind.  I  will  report  any 
student  who  utters  an  offensive  word  to  them. 
You  all  know  that  this  is  the  order  of  the  princi 
pal,  and  not  mine." 

For  some  reason  the  procession  of  Chesterfields 
did  not  pass  near  the  tree  under  which  the  Beech 
Hillers  were  lunching.  Paul  pointed  out  the  ele 
gant  mansion  of  Major  Billcord,  and  the  students 
of  the  institute  marched  in  that  direction. 

"While  we  are  waiting  for  Mr.  Bissell,  I  should 
like  to  go  up  to  his  house  and  get  my  sister's  val 
ise,  which  she  left  there,"  said  Paul  to  the  cox 
swain  of  the  Marian. 

Dick  consented,  though  he  would  not  have  per 
mitted  any  of  the  crew  to  leave  without  a  good 
reason  for  it  while  the  Chesterfields  were  so  near. 
Paul  hastened  up  to  the  main  street.  He  saw  the 
institute  students  halt  in  the  grounds  of  Major 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  175 

Billcord's  mansion.  They  broke  ranks,  and  the 
magnate  was  talking  to  them. 

"  I  will  give  twenty-five  dollars  to  any  student 
or  party  of  students  that  will  capture  that  young 
scoundrel,  Paul  Bristol,  and  hand  him  over  to  me  at 
Sandy  Point."  This  was  what  the  great  man  said 
to  a  group  of  half  a  dozen  of  the  students. 

The  party  in  front  of  him  promised  to  carry  out 
his  wishes  if  he  would  not  mention  the  matter  to 
the  rest  of  the  students. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

THE   MISSION   OF   THE    SIX    RUFFIANS. 

TDAUL  BRISTOL  saw  the  conference  between 
the  six  Chesterfield  students  and  Major  Bill- 
cord  ;  but  he  could  not  hear  what  passed  between 
them,  and  had  no  suspicion  that  he  was  the  subject  of 
remark.  None  of  them  saw  Paul  when  he  entered 
the  gate  to  Mr.  BisselPs  premises,  though  his  curi 
osity  prompted  him  to  stand  there  a  few  minutes 
to  observe  the  proceedings  of  the  party. 

He  expected  to  see  nothing  more  than  a  sort  of 
reception  of  the  magnate,  who  was  evidently  to 
be  their  passenger  to  Sandy  Point,  and  the  stu 
dents  proposed  to  take  him  to  the  scene  of  the 
afternoon's  sport  in  state.  But  Major  Billcord 
appeared  to  have  selected  the  six  ruffians  best 
suited  to  the  undertaking  in  which  they  were  to 
engage.  He  had  called  them  aside,  and  made  his 
offer  to  them. 

Those  who  were  near  enough  to  the  magnate  to 
see  his  face  could  not  help  noticing  that  he  had  a 

176 


STEM   TO    STEKN.  177 

pair  of  black  eyes.  In  this  respect  he  was  the 
counterpart  of  his  hopeful  son,  though  the  moiirn- 
ins;  of  the  latter  was  of  a  deeper  shade  than  that 
of  his  father.  The  major  had  remained  in  his 
elegant  mansion  all  the  forenoon,  for  he  was  more 
modest  in  the  display  of  the  weeds  under  his  eyes 
than  he  was  of  his  person  generally.  Doubtless 
he  had  often  looked  in  his  lofty  mirrors  to  ob 
serve  the  condition  of  his  face. 

He  did  not  like  the  looks  of  himself  with  the 
marks  Paul  had  left  on  his  face,  for  they  certainly 
added  nothing  to  the  dignity  of  his  expression, 
lie  was  a  pompous,  overbearing,  and  tyrannical 
man,  and  every  time  he  saw  his  mourning  organs 
they  tilled  him  with  wrath,  and  inspired  him  to 
seek  a  wholesale  revenge.  He  did  not  give  a 
thought  to  the  insult  his  son  had  offered  to  Miss 
Lily.  She  was  of  not  the  slightest  consequence, 
and  it  would  have  been  quite  proper,  in  his  opin 
ion,  for  her  to  submit  in  silence  to  the  pleasure  of 
the  reckless  young  man. 

On  the  way  home  from  the  scene  of  his  signal 
del'cat  at  the  hands  of  Paul  Bristol,  he  had  called 
at  the  institute,  and  intimated  that  he  had  a  mis 
sion  for  the  students,  at  the  point,  on  the  following 
day.  He  wished  them  to  call  for  him  at  his  house 


178  STEM  TO  STERN; 

in  the  afternoon,  'and  he  would  insure  them  an 
hour  or  more  of  the  liveliest  recreation.  He  did 
not  say  what  he  had  in  view,  and  he  had  cautioned 
Walk  not  to  mention  the  business  in  which  the 
young  men  were  to  be  engaged, 

As  Walk  went  home  with  his  father,  he  had  no 
opportunity  to  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag,  even  if 
he  had  been  so  disposed.  Father  and  son  had 
spent  the  rest  of  the  day  in  studying  out  an  ade 
quate  punishment  for  Paul.  If  they  could  have 
"  hung,  drawn,  and  quartered  "  him,  it  might  have 
satisfied  them.  Walk  suggested  that  he  should 
be  prosecuted,  and  that  the  justice  would  send  him 
to  prison  for  a  month  or  two.  But  his  father  saw 
that  such  a  course  would  bring  out  the  whole  story 
of  the  son's  assault  upon  Miss  Lily,  and  the  judge 
might  not  regard  the  affair  in  the  same  light  as  the 
sufferers  did. 

They  could  agree  upon  nothing,  but  before 
morning  Major  Billcord  had  devised  the  scheme 
he  had  now  taken  the  first  step  to  carry  out.  He 
thought  it  wise  not  to  implicate  his  son  in  the  out 
rage,  for  he  might  be  prosecuted  and  compelled  to 
pay  a  fine  for  himself  and  those  he  employed  to  do 
the  actual  work.  The  vengeance  of  the  magnate 
was  to  be  administered  to  Paul  at  Sandy  Point. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  179 

The  plant  for  the  black  eyes  hud  been  set  out  near 
the  doomed  cottage,  and  it  was  proper  that  the 
punishment  should  be  inflicted  on  the  same  spot. 

Walk  Billcord  had  not  been  in  condition  to  re 
turn  to  the  institute  that  day,  for  he  did  not  care  to 
put  his  mourning  on  exhibition,  and  to  answer  all 
the  questions  that  it  would  call  forth.  But  he  was 
going  to  Sandy  Point  in  the  boat  to  which  he  be 
longed,  for  he  was  anxious  to  take  part  in  the 
destruction  of  the  cottage.  After  the  students 
marched  up  to  the  mansion  of  the  magnate,  they 
had  informed  him  of  the  presence  of  the  Beech 
Hillers,  and  of  Paul,  in  Westport.  The  story  of 
the  Silver  Moon's  mishap  had  been  related  to  them 
at  the  wharf  when  they  landed.  The  students  from 
the  other  side  had  come  to  the  town  to  convey  the 
ladies  from  the  disabled  boat ;  and  this  sufficiently 
accounted  for  their  presence. 

Nothing  was  said  about  Paul,  except  that  he  had 
come  in  the  sloop.  Major  Billcord  had  no  doubt 
that  his  stalwart  foe  was  still  staying  at  the  point, 
and  he  had  arranged  his  plan  on  the  supposition 
that  he  would  be  found  in  that  vicinity.  But  when 
he  was  informed  of  his  presence  in  Westport,  he 
had  been  obliged  to  make  a  slight  change  in  his 
scheme.  He  had  not  intended  to  mention  it  till  the 


180  STEM   TO   STERN; 

students  landed  at  Sandy  Point.  He  had  before 
selected  his  ruffians,  and  he  was  simply  obliged  to 
make  his  offer  a  little  sooner  than  before  arranged. 

Paul  Bristol  went  into  Mr.  Bissell's  house  and  ob 
tained  his  sister's  valise.  As  he  was  about  to  de 
part,  the  owner  of  the  Silver  Moon  came  down 
stairs  in  his  changed  dress,  with  a  letter  in  his 
hand. 

"Paul,  do  you  know  where  Captain  Bleeker 
lives?"  asked  Bissell,  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  boy 
with  the  valise  in  his  hand. 

"Of  course  I  do,"  replied  Paul.  "I  used  to 
work  for  him  on  his  place  when  he  had  anything 
for  me  to  do." 

"  I  am  going  to  Sandy  Point  in  the  sloop,  and 
Dory  is  waiting  for  me,"  continued  the  skipper. 
"  I  am  in  a  hurry  to  be  off,  and  if  you  will  go  round 
by  Captain  Bleeker's  and  leave  this  letter  at  his 
house,  I  \vill  carry  your  valise  down  to  the  boat. 
I  will  put  it  on  board  of  the  Marian." 

"  All  right,  if  you  will  tell  the  coxswain  to  wait 
for  me  ;  for  I  suppose  I  am  to  go  in  the  barge," 
replied  Paul,  as  he  took  the  letter. 

Bissell  hastened  to  the  wharf  with  the  valise,  and 
Paul  started  for  his  destination,  which  was  on  a 
street  in  the  rear  of  Major  Billcord's  mansion.  The 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  181 

procession  had  re-formed  in  the  spacious  grounds 
to  escort  the  magnate  to  the  wharf.  The  six  ruf 
fians  had  been  excused  from  marching  in  the  line, 
by  request  of  the  major,  and  they  were  consulting 
in  regard  to  their  mission  in  the  street  in  front  of 
the  house. 

Paul  was  obliged  to  take  a  cross  street  to  reach 
the  house  of  Captain  Bleeker,  and  he  had  to  pass 
within  a  few  rods  of  the  elegant  mansion.  As  he 
turned  the  corner,  the  chief  of  the  six  ruffians,  who 
was  called  Buck  Lamb  by  his  fellow-students,  dis 
covered  him,  and  the  conference  came  to  a  sudden 
conclusion.  The  time  for  council  had  passed,  and 
the  time  for  action  had  come.  Buck  Lamb  was  an 
acknowledged  leader,  and,  without  any  appoint 
ment  as  such,  he  assumed  the  position  and  began 
to  give  off  his  orders. 

Paul  was  in  sight,  going  up  the  cross  street  with 
a  letter  in  his  hand.  The  back  street  ran  parallel 
to  the  main  street,  and  the  object  of  the  attack 
must  be  going  to  some  house  in  that  direction. 
Buck  sent  two  of  his  force  to  the  cross  street  next 
beyond  that  taken  by  Paul,  with  orders  to  inter 
cept  the  victim  if  he  went  that  way.  Two  more 
were  to  remain  near  the  mansion  of  the  magnate, 
and  Buck  himself,  with  Ham  Jackson,  followed 


182  STEM   TO   STERN; 

Paul.  One  of  the  two  parties  was  sure  to  meet 
him,  or  if  they  failed,  by  any  accident,  the  pair  on 
the  main  street  were  in  position  to  capture  him.  It 
was  a  quiet  little  place,  and  there  was  scarcely  a 
person  in  the  streets  after  the  procession  had 
marched  to  the  wharf. 

Paul  Bristol,  all  unconscious  of  what  had  been 
done  to  make  him  a  prisoner,  walked  with  a  rapid 
step  towards  the  house  of  the  person  to  whom  the 
letter  was  addressed.  He  had  not  noticed  the 
movements  of  the  six  ruffians,  or  even  that  any  of 
the  Chesterfields  had  been  left  behind.  He  was 
thinking  that  the  students  would  soon  reach  Sandy 
Point  with  Major  Billcord,  and  he  was  engaged  in 
picturing  their  astonishment  and  disappointment 
when  they  discovered  that  the  cottage  had  taken  to 
itself  wings,  and  that  the  locality  had  assumed  its 
original  appearance. 

He  went  up  to  the  door  of  the  house,  and  rang 
the  bell.  It  was  answered  by  Captain  Bleeker 
himself.  He  seemed  to  be  somewhat  surprised 
when  he  saw  Paul,  for  he  had  been  expecting 
another  person. 

"  Is  that  you,  Paul?  I  was  in  hopes  that  it  was 
Bissell ;  for  I  expected  an  important  letter  as  soon 
as  the  mail  got  in,  and  he  promised  to  bring  it  over 
to  me,"  said  the  captain. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  183 

"  He  asked  me  to  bring  the  letter  over,  and  here 
it  is,"  replied  Paul,  as  he  handed  the  important 
missive  to  him. 

"  Good !  It  contains  a  draft  which  I  need  as 
much  as  I  need  the  air  I  breathe,"  added  Captain 
Bleeker,  as  he  took  the  letter,  and  thrust  his  hand 
deep  into  one  of  his  trousers  pockets,  drawing  forth 
a  quarter.  "  I  am  more  glad  to  see  you  than  I 
should  be  to  meet  my  grandmother,  who  died 
twenty-five  years  ago.  Here  is  something  to  prove 
it ;  "  and  he  handed  him  the  quarter. 

"  I  don't  want  anything  for  this  errand  ;  I  only 
did  it  because  Mr.  Bissell  asked  me  to." 

"Take  the  money,"  said  the  captain  impera 
tively.  "  If  you  come  over  here  in  about  a  week,  I 
shall  have  something  for  you  to  do,  for  it  will  be 
time  then  to  hoe  the  garden." 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  come,  sir,  for  I  have  a  place 
now,  with  steady  work,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
lake,"  replied  Paul. 

"All  right,"  added  Captain  Bleeker,  as  he  broke 
the  seal  of  the  letter,  and  proceeded  to  close  the 
door,  manifesting  no  interest  in  the  messenger's 
new  position. 

Paul  put  the  quarter  in  his  pocket,  thinking  there 
had  been  no  time  in  two  years  when  it  was  so  little 


184  STEM  TO  STERN; 

needed  as  at  present,  thanks  to  Captain  Gildrock. 
But  he  did  not  lose  a  moment,  for  he  thought  that 
by  this  time  the  crew  of  the  Marian  might  be  wait 
ing  for  him.  He  walked  at  his  most  rapid  pace  up 
the  street  in  the  direction  by  which  he  had  come. 
There  was  not  a  person  to  be  seen  in  the  back 
street,  though  Buck  Lamb  and  Ham  Jackson  had 
reached  the  corner. 

"  Paul  saw  them  approaching  him  on  the  same  side 
of  the  street.  If  he  had  seen  them  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  the  institute,  he  might  have  known  them  ; 
as  it  was,  he  did  not  recognize  them,  though  they 
wore  the  barge  uniform.  Being  in  a  hurry,  he  de 
serted  the  sidewalk  to  cut  off  the  angle  at  the 
corner  of  the  street.  But  the  two  ruffians  promptly 
placed  themselves  in  front  of  him  in  the  middle  of 
the  highway. 

"  Stop  where  you  are  !  "  said  Buck  Lamb,  in  an 
imperative  tone. 

"What  am  I  to  stop  for?"  asked  Paul,  with  a 
smile,  and  with  the  simplicity  of  an  infant. 

"You  are  to  stop  because  I  order  you  to  do  so," 
replied  Buck,  who  was  of  the  genus  bully,  and 
could  not  well  help  manifesting  authority,  whether 
he  had  it  or  not. 

"As  I  am  in  a  hurry  to  join  my  boat,   I  don't 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  185 

think  that  is  a  sufficient  reason  for  my  stopping,'' 
replied  Paul,  with  abundant  cheerfulness.  "If  you 
will  excuse  me,  I  had  rather  not  stop  just  now." 

"  But  I  order  you  to  stop  ! "  said  Buck  sav 
agely. 

"  Oh,  you  do  !  "  added  the  intended  victim. 
"  Then  I  must  take  the  liberty  to  disobey  your  or 
ders." 

"  When  I  order  you  to  stop,  I  mean  to  enforce 
my  order,"  said  Buck,  with  his  teeth  set  fast 
together. 

"I  can't  stop  to  jaw  with  you  now  ;  for,  as  I  told 
you,  I  am  in  a  hurry,"  replied  Paul,  beginning  to 
be  a  little  indignant  at  the  interruption. 

"If  you  move  another  step,  I  shall  hit  you," 
continued  the  bully,  placing  himself  in  front  of  the 
victim,  with  his  fists  clinched  ready  to  execute  his 
threat. 

Paul  dodged  back,  and  attempted  to  pass  the 
ruffians,  but  Buck  got  in  front  of  him  again. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    RESULT    OF    AN    UNEQUAL    CONFLICT. 

"ID  UCK  LAMB  evidently  considered  himself  as 
more  than  a  match  for  Paul  Bristol,  for  neither 
Walk  Billcord  nor  his  father  had  given  the  stu 
dents  the  particulars  of  the  battle  at  Sandy  Point. 
All  the  magnate  said  was  that  he  and  his  son  had 
been  insulted  and  assaulted  by  the  ungrateful  son 
of  the  woman  he  had  harbored  on  his  land.  Buck 
was  a  stout  fellow,  who  had  the  reputation  of  pos 
sessing  scientific  skill  in  the  noble  art  of  pugilism, 
and  who  was  ready  for  any  fellow  of  his  avoir 
dupois,  either  with  soft  gloves  or  with  hard  gloves, 
or  with  no  gloves  at  all. 

Happily,  Paul  had  no  knowledge  of  the  reputa 
tion  of  the  bully,  which  the  more  knowing  of  the 
students  would  have  said  was  only  reputation.  In 
his  ignorance  of  the  accredited  accomplishments  of 
Buck  Lamb,  Paul  vyas  not  in  the  least  afraid  of  him. 
Possibly,  though  not  probably,  if  he  had  known 
what  a  bruiser  the  leader  of  the  six  ruffians  claimed 

186 


STEM   TO   STERN.  187 

to  be,  he  would  have  taken  to  his  heels  and  escaped 
in  the  best  way  he  could,  or  expressed  his  willing 
ness  to  obey  the  imperative  order  of  his  assailant. 

Buck  not  only  intercepted  his  intended  victim, 
but  he  levelled  a  blow  with  his  iron  fist,  as  he 
called  it,  at  the  modest  nose  of  Paul  Bristol.  This 
was  enough  to  satisfy  the  son  of  toil,  who  had  often 
hoed  corn  and  potatoes  in  the  garden  hear  the 
corner,  that  his  opponent  meant  business.  He 
parried  the  blow  aimed  at  him  successfully,  and  it 
was  the  right  time  for  him  to  have  returned  it ; 
but  Paul  did  not  yet  msan  business,  for  he  was  not 
a  fighting  character,  and  despised  the  whole  sub 
ject  of  pugilism.  Instead  of  striking,  he  looked 
about  him  for  the  means  of  escape,  and  discovered 
two  more  of  the  ruffians  running  with  all  their 
might  towards  the  scene  of  the  encounter.  They 
wore  the  uniform  of  the  barges  of  the  institute,  as 
did  Buck  and  Ham.  There  was  no  chance  of  es 
cape,  and  Paul  was  beginning  to  get  a  glimmering 
idea  of  the  purpose  of  the  assault.  He  concluded 
that  the  fellows  before  and  behind  him  were  to 
punish  him  for  what  he  had  done  the  day  before  at 
Sandy  Point. 

Buck  La.nb  did  not  wait  for  the  second  pair  of 
the   ruffians  to  join  him ;  and  in  that  he  made  a 


188  STEM  TO  STERN; 

bad  mistake  for  himself.  His  blow  hud  been 
parried,  and  he  began  to  think  that  his  antagonist 
had  some  skill  in  the  sublime  art  of  pugilism;  in 
this  he  was  again  mistaken,  for  Paul  had  never 
learned  the  first  thing  about  it.  He  was  fully 
roused,  and  he  aimed  a  second  blow  at  Paul,  which 
was  not  as  successfully  warded  off  as  the  first  had 
been,  and  he  received  a  portion  of  its  force  in  his 
right  cheek. 

Perhaps  this  hit  was  needed  to  render  Paul  fully 
equal  to  the  needs  of  the  occasion  ;  at  any  rate,  it 
roused  all  the  tiger  of  his  nature,  and  then  he  was 
ready  for  anything  that  might  come.  He  at 
tempted  to  parry  the  blow  with  his  left  arm  ;  but 
as  soon  as  the  hit  was  felt  on  his  cheek,  he  struck 
a  tremendous  blow  with  his  right  hand.  It  was  the 
stroke  of  a  son  of  toil,  whose  muscles  had  been 
hardened  by  constant  labor.  It  fell  between  the 
eyes  of  the  bully,  which  seemed  to  be  u  favorite 
locality  for  Paul. 

The  pugilist  of  the  institute  reeled  backwards, 
and  then  fell  over  into  the  dirt  in  the  middle  of 
the  street.  Doubtless  he  saw  all  the  stars  his 
vision  could  encompass,  and  his  ideas  were  awfully 
confused.  At  any  rate,  he  did  not  "  come  to  time," 
but  lay  on  the  ground  where  he  had  fallen. 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  189 

Ham  Jackson  was  appalled  at  the  result  of  the 
first  onslaught,  which  was  accomplished  in  a  tenth 
part  of  the  time  it  has  taken  to  narrate  it.  Per 
haps  he  was  not  a  pugilist ;  hut  it  was  certain 
from  his  actions  that  he  was  not  prepared  for  the 
state  of  things  now  existing.  He  seemed  to  be 
quite  as  much  bewildered  as  his  companion  in  the 
dirt.  But  he  recovered  himself  more  quickly,  and 
rushed  upon  Paul  with  the  apparent  intention  of 
seizing  him  by  the  collar  of  his  coat.  But  the  son 
of  toil  did  not  know  what  he  meant,  and  only  saw 
him  coming.  Without  waiting  to  inquire  into  his 
purpose  Paul  gave  him  the  counterpart  of  the  blow 
which  had  upset  Buck  Lamb.  The  effect  was 
precisely  the  same,  and  Ham  went  over  back 
wards. 

The  two  students  approaching  from  the  rear 
were  only  a  few  rods  distant,  and  Paul  did  not 
wait  for  them  to  come  any  nearer.  As  he  would 
gladly  have  done  in  the  first  place,  he  took  to  his 
heels  and  ran  as  fast  as  he  could  towards  the 
main  street.  Before  he  reached  it,  he  looked  back 
to  see  if  his  enemies  were  pursuing  him.  The 
two  who  had  just  come  up  with  their  unhorsed 
companions  were  picking  them  up,  and  there  was 
no  effort  yet  made  to  overtake  him. 


190  STEM  TO  STERN; 

P.'iul  slacked  his  speed  to  a  walk,  and  as  he 
approached  the  main  street  he  saw  two  more  stu 
dents  in  the  barge  uniform.  The  instant  they 
discovered  him,  they  rushed  to  a  position  in  front 
of  him.  One  of  them  commanded  him  to  stop ; 
but  he  declined  to  do  so.  One  of  them  attempted 
to  seize  the  collar  of  his  coat,  and  Paul  felt  obliged 
to  hit  again.  His  blow  was  parried  better  than 
either  of  his  former  assailants  had  been  able  to  do 
it,  but  he  repeated  the  attempt  with  success.  The 
blood  spurted  from  the  nose  of  the  foremost  stu 
dent,  but  he  was  not  upset  by  the  shock. 

Both  of  them  came  upon  him  then,  the  second 
putting  one  of  his  feet  between  Paul's  legs  while 
he  was  attending  to  the  first,  and  tripping  him  up. 
Down  went  the  son  of  toil,  and  the  two  ruffi;uis 
pounced  upon  him  with  the  intention  of  holding 
him  till  the  rest  of  the  party  joined  them.  But 
Paul  did  not  hold  still  worth  a  cent ;  and  with  his 
great  strength  he  shook  off  his  assailants. 

The  last  couple  were  more  plucky  than  the  first 
had  proved  to  be,  and  they  followed  him  up  very 
closely.  The  victim  rained  blows  upon  them 
without  regard  to  the  belt,  hitting  them  where  he 
could.  He  was  furious,  and  raging  like  a  lion. 
It  was  a  very  uneven  combat,  and  Paul  was  rapidly 


OK,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  191 

exhausting  himself.  The  second  of  his  present 
antagonists  used  his  boots  almost  exclusively.  He 
kicked  the  son  of  toil  in  the  shins,  and  labored  to 
trip  him  up  again.  Just  as  Paul  had  given  the 
one  Avho  used  fists  a  blow  between  the  eyes,  which 
upset  him,  the  leg  operator  succeeded,  by  an  attack 
in  the  rear,  in  bringing  the  victim  to  the  ground. 

As  soon  as  Paul  was  down,  Mad  Twinker,  who 
was  the  one  who  demonstrated  with  his  boots, 
jumped  upon  him,  and  clawed  his  fingers  into  the 
throat  of  the  unfortunate  son  of  toil.  Just  at  this 
moment  the  party  from  the  back  street  came  up, 
and  the  two  fresh  ruffians  assisted  Mad  in  securing 
the  victim.  They  had  obtained  a  couple  of  pieces 
of  bedcord  at  the  house  of  the  major,  and  they  tied 
his  arms  behind  him. 

Paul  was  so  exhausted  that  he  could  make  no 
further  resistance,  and  he  submitted  to  be  bound. 
His  breath  was  hardly  shorter  than  that  of  his  last 
opponents,  who  were  now  wiping  the  blood  from 
their  faces.  The  ruffians  had  earned  their  money, 
so  far  as  the  capture  of  the  victim  was  concerned  ; 
and  it  only  remained  for  them  to  deliver  the  pris 
oner  to  Major  Billcord  at  Sandy  Point. 

Two  of  the  ruffians  went  to  a  pump  and  wet 
their  handkerchiefs,  with  which  they  washed  their 


STEM   TO    STEIIN; 

own  faces.  Paul's  handkerchief  was  taken  from 
his  pocket,  and  the  stains  of  blood  were  re 
moved  from  his  battered  face.  In  a  few  minutes 
they  had  wiped  away  the  traces  of  the  conflict. 
Then  two  of  the  students,  one  on  each  side,  took 
Paul  by  the  arms  and  marched  him  towards  the 
wharf.  When  they  came  in  sight  of  it,  they  saw 
that  all  the  barges  were  manned,  and  had  pulled  a 
short  distance  from  the  shore,  where  they  awaited 
the  absent  members  of  the  crews.  The  Beech 
Hi  Hers  had  taken  position  off  the  end  of  the  pier, 
while  the  Chesterfields  were  near  the  land. 

There  was  still  quite  a  collection  of  people  on  the 
wharf,  drawn  thither  fwr  the  purpose  of  seeing  the 
barges,  and  possibly  expecting  a  race  or  a  fight, 
the  latter  being  more  probable  in  the  opinion  of  the 
spectators  :  the  battles  of  the  previous  season  having 
been  duly  reported  in  the  town.  The  Silver  Moon, 
with  Bissell  and  Dory  in  the  standing-room,  was 
running  with  the  wind  on  her  beam  for  Scotch  Bon 
net.  The  six  ruffians  halted  when  they  came  in 
sight  of  the  wharf,  and  gathered  around  their 
prisoner. 

"This  will  never  do, "said  Mad  Twinkcr,  shaking 
his  head.  "  "VVe  can't  take  him  through  that  crowd 
of  people  on  the  wharf." 


OB,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  193 

"That's  so,"  replied  Buck  Lamb,  who  had  lost 
some  of  his  prestige  since  his  overthrow,  and  Mad 
Twinker  had  come  to  the  front.  "  Four  of  us  can 
handle  him  well  enough  now.  Jeff  Monroe,  and 
you,  Steve  Douglas,  go  and  get  Bissell's  four-oar 
boat." 

"  Bissell  is  n't  there  now,"  replied  Jeff. 

"  Stop  at  his  store  as  you  go  along,  hire  it  for  a 
couple  of  hours,  and  get  the  key,"  continued  Mad 
Twinker.  "Pull  up  to  the  creek  at  the  head  of  the 
bay,  and  we  will  meet  you  there." 

Though  there  appeared  to  be  no  one  in  the 
streets,  for  all  the  idlers  had  gone  down  to  the 
wharf,  there  were  people  in.  the  houses.  Among 
the  latter  was  Miss  Susy  Wellington,  who  had 
pulled  an  oar  in  the  Marian.  She  had  gone  home 
to  change  her  wet  dress  for  a  dry  one,  and  saw 
from  her  chamber  window  the  capture  of  Paul 
Bristol  by  the  ruffians.  She  had  heard  something 
in  the  boat  about  Paul's  battle  with  Major  Billcord 
and  his  son,  and  she  had  some  idea  of  the  occasion 
of  the  assault  upon  the  son  of  toil. 

While  Mad  Twinker  and  his  fellow-ruffians  were 
hurrying  their  prisoner  to  the  creek,  she  hastened 
down  to  the  wharf.  On  her  way  she  stopped  at 
Bissell's  store,  where  she  had  worked  with  Lily 


194  STEM   TO   STERN; 

Bristol.  She  learned  that  her  employer  had  gone 
ofl'  in  the  sloop  again,  and  that  some  of  the 
Chesterfields  had  just  hired  the  four-oar  boat.  She 
continued  on  her  way,  and  soon  saw  the  two  stu 
dents  in  her  employer's  boat,  pulling  rapidly  to 
wards  the  head  of  the  bay.  When  she  reached  the 
end  of  the  wharf  she  waved  her  handkerchief  to  the 
Marian,  and  beckoned  with  all  her  might  with  her 
hand. 

Dick  Short  gave  the  order  "  Stern  all !  "  and  the 
barge  backed  up  within  hail  of  the  fair  oars  woman. 
The  coxswain  asked  her  if  she  desired  to  pull  an 
oar  in  the  barge  again. 

"  We  are  waiting  for  Paul  Bristol,  and  he  ought 
to  be  on  board  by  this  time,"  added  Dick.  "  If  he 
don't  come,  you  can  take  his  place." 

"No,  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Coxswain,"  replied  Miss 
Susy,  and  she  proceeded  to  detail  what  she  had  seen 
from  her  window. 

"Paul  a  prisoner  !  "  exclaimed  Dick,  thoroughly 
aroused  by  the  intelligence.  "  Stand  by  !  Give 
way  lively  !  " 

He  ran  the  Marian  under  the  stern  of  the  Gild- 
rock,  and  reported  the  astounding  intelligence  to 
Commodore  Chester. 

"  A  prisoner  !  "  exclaimed  Oscar,  startled  by  the 
news.  "  Where  is  he  now  ?  " 


OR,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  195 

"Do  you  see  that  boat  near  the  head  of  the  bay? 
Two  of  the  six  fellows  who  captured  Paul  were 
sent  for  the  boat,  while  the  others  took  him  in  that 
direction." 

"This  looks  like  serious  business.  The  Chester 
field  barges  both  lie  between  us  and  that  small 
boat,"  continued  Oscar  Chester. 

The  Gildrock  was  hauled  around  so  that  the  com 
modore  could  confer  with  Thad  Glovering.  The 
details  were  repeated  so  that  all  the  students  in  the 
three  barges  heard  the  whole  story. 

"  It  looks  as  though  the  rascals  were  going  to 
bring  Paul  off  in  that  boat,  and  put  him  on  board 
of  the  Racer  or  the  Dasher,"  which  were  the  names 
of  the  two  Chesterfield  barges. 

"  Then,  if  we  pull  up  there  in  a  hurry,  we  may  be 
able  to  get  him  away  from  them,"  added  Thad 
Glovering. 

"On  the  other  hand,  if  the  fellows  in  charge  of 
the  prisoner  see  our  barges  coming,  they  will  put 
Paul  ashore." 

It  was  a  difficult  point  to  settle. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A    DEADLOCK    AT    THE    HEAD    OF    THE    BAY. 

TT  was  finally  decided  by  the  commodore  that  all 
the  Beech  Hill  barges  should  proceed  to  the 
head  of  the  bay,  and  if  the  ruffians  landed  wit!}, 
their  prisoner,  or  did  not  put  him  in  the  boat, 
they  should  follow  them  on  shore  and  rescue  Paul 
at  all  hazards.  Oscar  Chester  gave  the  word,  and 
the  Gildrock  dashed  off,  with  the  other  two  barges 
following  her.  The  crews  were  not  spared,  and  the 
boats  appeared  to  leap  over  the  water,  which  was 
tolerably  smooth  under  the  lee  of  the  land. 

The  Chesterfield  barges  still  lay  near  the  shore, 
above  the  wharf,  and  in  order  to  avoid  them  the  com 
modore  headed  the  Gildrock  across  the  bay.  In  the 
absence  of  the  spare  hand  and  Dory,  the  Marian 
was  one  oarsman  short,  and  Dick  Short  missed  the 
stroke  very  much.  The  Silver  Moon  was  not  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  wharf,  for  Dory 
was  showing  off  the  sloop  in  various  points  of 
sailing.  Very  likely  he  desired  to  keep  the  Beech 
Hill  barges  in  sight  as .  long  as  the  Chesterfields 
were  near. 

198 


STEM  TO   STERN.  197 

Dick  Short  waved  his  handkerchief  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  sloop.  Dory  saw  the  signal,  and 
headed  the  Silver  Moon  to  the  head  of  the  bay. 
Before  the  commodore  changed  the  course  of  the 
fleet,  he  ran  across  the  stern  of  the  Marian. 

"The  Chesterfields  have  made  Paul  a  prisoner  !  " 
shouted  Dick  Short. 

Dory  heard  the  announcement,  and  then  the  sloop 
passed  out  of  speaking  distance.  He  was  not  a 
little  astonished  at  the  information,  and  fully  real 
ized  the  peril  of  the  son  of  toil.  Glancing  at  the 
Chesterfield  barges,  he  saw  Major  Billcord  seated 
in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  Dasher,  and  it  did  not 
need  a  very  vivid  imagination  to  comprehend  the 
programme  of  the  enemy. 

"  I  must  ask  you  to  excuse  me  to-day,  and  I  will 
come  over  some  other  time  when  the  wind  blows, 
and  put  the  Silver  Moon  through  her  paces,"  said 
Dory  to  the  owner  of  the  sloop. 

"What's  the  trouble  here?"  asked  Bissell. 

The  acting  skipper  explained  the  situation  to 
him,  including  enough  of  the  proceedings  at 
Sandy  Point  the  day  before  to  enable  him  to  un 
derstand  it. 

"Major  Billcord  is  as .  savage  as  a  wild  hyena 
when  he  gets  mad,"  added  Bissell.  M-  He  is  bound 


198  STEM  TO  STERN; 

to  have  his  own  wuy  against  everybody  else.  He 
tries  to  rule  the  town,  though  most  of  the  people 
hate  him." 

Dory  tacked  and  stood  back  to  the  Marian.  He 
hailed  the  coxswain  and  asked  to  be  taken  on 
board.  Dick  told  him  to  come  alongside  as  quick 
as  he  could,  and  he  would  be  ready  for  him. 

"  I  wonder  if  I  can't  do  something  to  help  you," 
said  Bissell.  "You  fellows  have  done  me  a  good 
turn  to-day,  and  I  should  n't  mind  helping  you  out 
if  I  could." 

"You  will  only  offend  Major  Billcord,  and  I  think 
we  can  manage  the  affair,"  replied  Dory. 

"No  matter  whom  I  offend;  Paul  Avorked  well 
in  the  sloop,  and  he  seems  to  be  the  bottom  dog  in 
this  business,  and  if  I  see  a  chance  to  do  anything 
for  him  I  shall  do  it,  if  the  major  bu'sts  over  it." 

By  this  time  the  Marian  was  close  under  the 
bow  of  the  Silver  Moon.  Dick  checked  the  head 
way  of  the  barge,  and  Dory  put  the  helm  down. 
Up  went  the  starboard  oars  on  the  Marian,  and 
the  sloop  was  alongside  of  her  the  next  minute. 
Dory  leaped  into  the  stern-sheets,  and  took  his 
place  at  the  stroke  oar.  The  sailboat  fell  astern, 
and  the  crew  gave  way  again. 

Dick  gave  Dory  all  the  information  he  had  in 


OR,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  199 

regard  to  the  capture  of  Paul.  Both  of  them 
were  satisfied  that  the  poor  fellow  would  be 
beaten  half  to  death  if  he  was  not  rescued  from 
the  enemy.  By  the  time  the  story  had  been  told, 
the  Gildrock  changed  her  course,  and  pointed  her 
bow  for  the  creek  at  the  head  of  the  bay.  On  the 
shore  they  could  see  several  young  men  in  the 
uniform  of  the  Chestertield  barges,  and  they  could 
be  no  other  than  the  captors  of  Paul.  The  four- 
oar  boat  was  just  making  a  landing. 

When  the  commodore  changed  his  course,  the 
barges  of  the  two  schools  were  at  about  the  same 
distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  creek.  Oscar's 
strategy  had  given  Beech  Hill  this  equal  advan 
tage.  The  movement  of  the  barges  created  a 
sudden  sensation  on  board  of  the  Racer  and  the 
Dasher.  Major  Billcord  began  to  demonstrate, 
and  a  good  deal  of  violent  jawing  came  from  the 
crews.  The  magnate  had  seen  the  two  ruffians 
take  the  boat  from  the  wharf,  and  pull  to  the  head 
of  the  bay.  He  could  not  fail  to  understand  that 
the  prisoner  was  to  be  brought  off  in  her. 

Doubtless,  he  commended  the  prudence  of  the 
ruffians  in  avoiding  the  crowd  on  shore.  He  had 
kept  faith  with  his  hired  villains  for  his  own  sake 
as  well  as  for  theirs,  and  he  was  the  only  person 


200  STEM  TO  STERN; 

in  the  barges  who  expected  Paul  to  be  put  on 
board,  or  who  comprehended  the  movements  of 
the  six  absentees  from  the  boats.  It  was  evident 
to  him  that  the  Beech  Hillers  had  discovered  what 
was  going  on,  though  it  was  a  mystery  to  him  how 
they  had  obtained  their  information,  for  the  com 
ing  of  Susy  Wellington  had  not  been  observed. 

"Run  for  the  head  of  the  bay,  Jack  Wood- 
horn  !  "  exclaimed  Major  Billcord,  when  he  saw 
the  Beech  Hill  barges  headed  in  that  direction. 
"You  must  get  there  before  those  rascals  from 
the  other  side  do,  or  they  will  thrash  the  six  boys 
of  the  institute  who  are  there." 

"  We  can't  do  anything,  sir ;  we  are  four  oars 
short  in  this  boat,  and  two  in  the  other,"  replied 
the  coxswain  of  the  Dasher. 

"Don't  waste  a  second,  Jack!"  protested  the 
magnate.  "Do  the  best  you  can.  You  have  the 
inside  track,  and  you  ought  to  beat  them  with 
half  a  crew. ' 

Woodhorn  gave  the  order  to  give  way,  and  the 
eight  rowers  in  his  boat  were  soon  pulling  with  all 
their  might.  The  Racer  followed  her,  and,  having 
ten  oars,  she  passed  her.  It  looked  like  a  race  be 
tween  the  two  schools,  though  it  was  a  very  une 
qual  one.  The  Chesterfield  students  had  improved 


OR,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  201 

in  rowing  a  great  deal  since  the  last  season,  but 
discipline  was  still  the  wanting  element  in  their 
organization,  and  though  they  had  never  measured 
speed  with  the  Beech  Hill  boats,  they  were  no 
match  for  them. 

The  boys  from  the  other  side  did  not  seem  to 
hurry  themselves,  but  only  pulled  a  steady  and 
strong  stroke.  In  five  minutes  it  was  clear 
enough  that  they  were  beating  their  opponents. 
The  magnate  urged  the  Chesterfields  to  greater 
exertion,  and  did  more  harm  than  good  by  his  ill- 

•/ 

timed  interference. 

Dory  had  shaken  out  the  reef  in  the  Silver 
Moon,  and  made  an  additional  change  in  the  bal 
last,  so  that  she  was  now  behaving  remarkably 
well.  Bissell  had  run  over  to  the  north  side  of  the 
bay,  and  now  had  a  slant  which  would  carry  him 
to  the  mouth  of  the  creek.  Oscar  Chester  had 
kept  his  gaze  fixed  on  the  party  on  the  shore.  He 
saw  the  six  ruffians,  and  recognized  Paul  Bristol 
with  his  arms  still  bound  behind  him.  The  four- 
oar  boat  lay  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  but  the  six 
ruffians  had  retreated  to  the  high  ground  in  the 
rear  of  the  landing. 

The  approach  of  the  three  Beech  Hill  barges 
had  completely  upset  the  calculations  of  the  ruf- 


202  STEM  TO  STERN; 

fians.  They  stood  looking  down  upon  the  lake, 
and  appeared  to  be  entirely  non-plussed.  The 
Gildrock  was  bearing  towards  the  Westport  side  of 
the  bay,  and  was  coming  between  the  shore  and 
the  Chesterfield  barges.  It  was  plainly  folly  to 
put  the  prisoner  into  the  boat  that  had  come  for 
him.  In  the  barges  there  were  thirty-five  Beech 
Hillers,  and  only  twenty  belonging  to  the  insti 
tute.  Besides,  the  boats  from  the  other  side  had 
always  been  victorious  over  their  own. 

The  Gildrock  came  to  a  stand,  with  the  crew 
lying  on  their  oars,  and  the  other  two  barges  fol 
lowed  her  example  at  the  order  of  the  commo 
dore.  If  the  Chesterfields  advanced,  they  would 
have  to  break  their  Avay  through  the  Beech  Hill 
line  of  boats.  Jack  Woodhorn  ordered  a  halt 
before  he  came  up  with  the  formidable  line  in 
front  of  him.  Colonel  Buckmill,  the  principal, 
who  was  not  present,  had  told  the  students  of  the 
institute  never  to  come  in  collision  with  any  of  the 
boats  from  the  other  side,  and  the  coxswains  were 
disposed  to  obey  their  orders,  especially  as  all  the 
chances  were  against  them. 

"  What  are  you  stopping  for,  Jack  Woodhorn?  " 
demanded  Major  Billcord,  when  the  oarsmen  in 
the  Dasher  brought  their  blades  to  a  level. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  203 

"We  can  go  no  farther  without  running  into 
those  barges,"  replied  the  coxswain. 

"Run  into  them,  then  !  Smash  them  if  they 
don't  get  out  of  your  way.  Are  you  afraid  of 
those  chip-makers?"  blustered  the  magnate. 

"  The  principal  ordered  us  never  to  come  in  col 
lision  with  any  of  the  boats  from  the  other  side, 
sir,"  replied  Woodhorn  respectfully. 

"Are  you  going  to  leave  your  fellow-students 
on  the  shore  to  be  mauled  by  those  rascals  ?  " 

"I  don't  believe  the  tinkers  will  meddle  with 
them  as  long  as  they  stay  on  shore." 

"  But  you  want  the  rest  of  your  oarsmen,  and  I 
want  you  all  at  Sandy  Point.  There  is  the  biggest 
pile  of  fun  for  you  over  there  that  you  ever  had  in 
your  lives,"  continued  Major  Billcord,  moderating 
his  tone  a  little  when  he  .found  his  own  wishes 
were  in  conflict  with  the  orders  of  the  principal. 

Neither  Jack  Woodhorn  nor  Phil  Fessenden, 
the  coxswain  of  the  Racer,  was  disposed  to  get 
into  a  row  with  the  Beech  Killers.  Both  of  them 
had  been  in  the  barges  the  summer  before  in  all 
their  tilts  with  the  Gildrock  and  the  Winooski, 
and  they  had  learned  wisdom  from  experience.  It 
was  in  vain,  therefore,  that  Major  Billcord  coaxed 
and  threatened  them.  With  a  pair  of  black  eyes 


204  STEM  TO  STERN; 

out  of  the  battle  of  the  day  before,  Walk  was 
hardly  inclined  to  support  his  father,  though  he 
was  quite  as  anxious  as  the  magnate  to  get  Paul 
into  their  possession. 

For  full  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  boats  remained 
in  the  same  relative  position.  The  six  ruffians  on 
the  shore  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  there 
was  no  getting  out  of  the  deadlock,  and  that  the 
only  way  for  them  to  earn  their  money  was  to 
march  their  prisoner  to  Sandy  Point  by  land,  a 
distance  of  two  miles. 

Bissell  had  run  the  Silver  Moon  into  the  mouth 
of  the  creek,  and  had  been  waiting  for  some  move 
ment  on  the  part  of  the  combatants  in  which  he 
miirht  do  something  to  serve  his  friends.  The 

r^  o 

ruffians  were  jawing  among  themselves  as  to  what 
it  was  best  to  do,  but  he  could  not  hear  enough  of 
their  talk  to  understand  their  plans,  if  they  had 
any.  The  skipper's  patience  was  exhausted,  and, 
taking  his  painter  in  his  hands,  he  went  on  shore. 
Securing  the  rope,  he  walked  up  the  banl$. 

"What  are  you  trying  to  do?"  he  asked,  ad 
dressing  his  remark  to  Mad  Twinker. 

"We  want  to  put  this  fellow  on  board  of  the 
Dasher,"  replied  the  leader,  as  he  had  been  since 
the  overthrow  of  Buck  Lamb. 


OB,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  205 

"Well,  why  don't  you  do  it?"  asked  Bissell 
briskly. 

"Because  the  tinkers  will  interfere." 

"I  will  take  him  in  the  Silver  Moon  if  you  like," 
added  the  skipper  indifferently. 

"Will  you  take  the  rest  of  us  too?"  asked 
Mad. 

"  Yes ;  I  can  carry  a  dozen  well  enough,"  re 
plied  Bissell. 

About  all  the  students  were  small  customers  at 
Bissell's  store,  and  were  well  acquainted  with  him. 
They  had  no  suspicion  of  any  treachery  on  his 
part. 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

THE    REBELLIOUS    SKIPPER    OF    THE    SLOOP. 

"TT THAT  are  you  going  to  do  with  Paul  Bristol, 
Mad  T winker?"  inquired  Bissell,  as  they 
marched  him  down  to  the  sloop. 

"  We  are  not  going  to  do  anything  with  him. 
Major  Billcord  wants  to  see  him,  and  we  promised 
to  take  him  over  to  Sandy  Point  for  him," 
answered  the  chief  ruffian. 

"Oh,  that's  all,  is  it?"  added  the  skipper. 
"  What  is  the  major  going  to  do  with  him  ?  " 

"  We  don't  know  ;  and  it 's  none  of  our  business." 

"Of  course  it  isn't,"  replied  Bissell  cheerfully, 
as  he  hauled  up  the  bow  of  the  boat  so  that  the 
party  could  get  on  board.  "  How  are  you  feeling 
now,  Paul?" 

"  I  think  I  am  all  right.  I  have  got  some  hard 
cracks  since  I  saw  you  at  your  house,  but  I  guess  I 
shall  come  out  of  it  all  right,"  replied  the  prisoner, 
looking  with  interest  and  anxiety  into  the  face  of 
the  store-keeper. 

208 


STEM   TO    STERN.  207 

Just  then,  while  the  ruffians  were  picking  their 
way  into  the  boat,  Bissell  gave  the  prisoner  an 
almost  imperceptible  wink,  which  Paul  saw  and 
comprehended.  It  was  full  of  hope  to  him,  for 
he  did  not  see  ho\v  the  skipper  could  deliver 
him  over  to  the  magnate  after  the  good  service  he 
had  rendered,  in  his  humble  way,  on  board  of  the 
Silver  Moon.  Besides,  he  was  a  Beech  Hiller  now, 
and  the  store-keeper  knew  it.  He  was  under 
great  obligations  to  them,  and  Paul  did  not  be 
lieve  he  would  betray  one  of  their  number. 

The  skipper  had  not  lowered  his  mainsail  when 
he  made  the  landing,  and  the  sloop  was  all  ready 
to  shove  off.  After  two  of  the  ruffians  were  in 
the  standing-room,  the  prisoner  was  conducted  on 
board  between  two  others.  At  this  point,  Bissell 
went  on  board  and  took  a  stand  near  the  tiller. 

"  It  blows  like  Sam  Hill  to-day,"  said  he,  "  and 
I  want  you  to  keep  your  places,  and  not  move  out 
of  them.  There  are  eight  of  us  now,  and  sit  four 
on  a  side.  Here,  Paul,  you  sit  there,"  and  he 
shoved  the  prisoner  into  the  place  next  to  his 
own,  on  the  port  side. 

"  But  you  won't  have  to  go  out  into  the  rough 
water  to  get  to  Sandy  Point,"  suggested  Mad 
T  winker. 


208  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"  "We  must  go  out  some  distance,  for  there  is 
hardly  any  wind  under  the  bluffs,"  replied  the 
skipper.  "  You  take  a  seat  in  that  corner,  Mad  ;  " 
and  he  crowded  him  into  the  place  opposite  his 
own.  . 

The  other  ruffians  were  arranged  to.  suit  him, 
and  then  he  shoved  the  sloop  off  into  deep  water. 
The  sail  filled  on  the  port  tack,  and  the  Silver 
Moon  went  off  with  the  wind  a  little  abaft  of  the 
beam.  The  shore  was  low  at  the  head  of  the  bay, 
and  the  sloop  got  her  full  share  of  the  breeze. 
She  struck  into  an  eight-knot  speed  at  once. 

"  It  was  lucky  for  us  that  you  came  up  to  the 
creek,  Mr.  Bissell,"  said  Mad  Twinker,  as  the 
boat  shot  ahead. 

"  Perhaps  it  was,"  replied  the  skipper ;  but 
there  was  not  much  enthusiasm  in  the  remark. 

"  Those  villains  from  the  other  side  blocked  us 
in  so  that  wre  could  n't  do  anything,  and  we  were 
thinking  of  walking  Paul  over  by  land,"  added 
the  leader.  "  But  some  of  us  are  about  used  up, 
and  we  did  not  like  the  idea  of  such  a  tramp 
through  the  woods." 

As  he  spoke  he  glanced  at  the  battered  faces  of 
some  of  his  companions.  They  all  looked  as 
though  they  had  been  through  the  wars. 


OR,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  209 

"The  head  bout  of  the  tinkers  is  swinging 
around,"  said  Alf  Sumner,  as  the  Gildrock  turned 
her  bow  towards  the  shore. 

"I  wonder  what  they  are  going  to  do  now," 
added  Mad  Twinker,  with  no  little  anxiety  in  his 
expression. 

"  The  rest  of  the  tinker  boats"  are  following  her," 
continued  I  Iain  Jackson. 

The  (Jildrock  made  a  graceful  sweep  before  the 
sloop  came  up  with  the  position  of  the  last  barge 
in  the  line,  and  was  abreast  of  the  Silver  Moon 
about  as  soon  as  she  was  under  full  headway. 
The  Beech  Ilillers  now  laid  themselves  out,  though 
they  could  hardly  expect  to  keep  up  with  the  sail 
boat  in  that  wind. 

"  Can't  yon  out  sail  those  barges,  Mr.  Bisscll  ?  " 
asked  Mad  Twinker. 

"  Every  time  when  we  have  as  much  breeze  as 
we  have  now,"  replied  the  skipper.  "And  we 
shall  have  a  good  deal  more  before  we  have  any 
less." 

"  There  goes  the  Dasher,"  said  Alf  Sumner. 
"  The  Racer  is  after  her." 

"  And  both  of  them  will  be  a  long  way  after 
the  tinkers,"  added  Ham  Jackson. 

"We  want  you  to  put  us  ashore  on  the  Sandy 


210  STEM   TO    STERN; 

Bay  side  of  the  point,"  said  Mad  Twinker.  w  Of 
course,  we  shall  pay  you  the  dollar  an  hour  for  the 
boat  and  boatman  for  all  the  time  we  have  her." 

"That's  all  right,"  answered  the  skipper,  as  he 
headed  the  Silver  Moon  farther  out  into  the  bay, 
and  let  oft'  the  main  sheet  to  suit  the  change. 

In  a  few  minutes  more  the  boat  was  in  rough 
water,  and  she  began  to  pitch  and  roll  in  a  manner 
somewhat  trying  to  the  nerves  of  persons  not  used 
to  it.  The  six  ruffians,  who  were  no  boatmen,  for 
they  had  very  seldom  been  allowed  in  a  sailboat, 
did  not  like  it. 

"  What 's  the  use  of  going  out  so  far  from  the 
shore,  Mr.  Bissell  ?  "  demanded  Mad  Twinker. 

"I  don't  think  it  is  safe  to  sail  near  the  bluffs, 
for  the  wind  is  flawy  and  snappish  there,"  replied 
the  skipper.  "I  don't  know  but  I  shall  have  to  put 
a  reef  in  the  mainsail,  for  the  gusts  come  heavier 
than  I  thought  for." 

As  he  spoke  he  hauled  out  a  lot  of  rope  from 
the  locker  under  the  tiller.  He  began  to  fuss  over 
the  lines  to  find  a  reef  pendant.  He  took  his 
knife  from  his  pocket,  and  cut  one  of  them  oft' the 
right  length.  He  laid  the  knife  down  by  his  side 
on  the  seat,  and  then  returned  all  the  ropes,  except 
the  one  he  had  cut  off,  to  the  locker. 


OR,   BUILDING  THE  BOAT.  211 

"  I  may  not  want  to  reef,  but  it  is  best  to  be 
ready,"  continued  the  skipper,  shifting  the  tiller  a 
couple  of  notches  on  the  comb.  "  Do  you  think 
those  barges  will  come  up  with  us, 'Mad?" 

"  I  should  judge  that  they  would  not,"  replied 
the  leader. 

"  The  Beech  Killers  are  putting  in  some  strong 
strokes,"  added  Bissell. 

"  So  tire  our  boats,"  replied  Mad. 

"  They  are  getting  up  quite  a  smart  race.  Will 
you  fellows  bet  on  your  own  boats?"  asked  the 
skipper,  with  a  cheerful  smile. 

"Of  course  we  won't  while  the  Dasher  is 
four  hands  short  of  her  complement,"  said  Jeff 
Monroe. 

"  But  your  boats  are  doing  their  prettiest,  and  I 
should  n't  wonder  if  they  got  the  best  of  it  in  the 
end.  Don't  you  see  that  the  Dasher  is  gaining  on 
the  Marian?"  continued  Bissell,  with  a  great  deal 
of  earnestness. 

"  I  don't  think  she  is  gaining  at  all/'  put  in  Steve 
Douglas. 

But  the  six  ruffians  were  gazing  with  all  their 
eyes  at  the  five  barges  ;  and  this  was  the  one  thing 
that  Bissell  most  desired.  While  he  held  on  to  the 
tiller  with  his  right  hand  he  had  picked  up  his  knife 


212  STEM  TO  STERN; 

with  the  other.  Reaching  around  behind  him,  he 
got  hold  of  the  cord  which  bound  Paul  Bristol. 
Making  sure  that  the  blade  was  in  the  right  place, 
in  which  he  was  assisted  by  the  prisoner,  he  cut  the 
rope. 

"  Is  the  Dasher  gaining  anything,  Mad  ? "  he 
asked  when  he  had  accomplished  his  purpose  with 
out  attracting  the  attention  of  the  ruffians. 

"  Not  a  hair ;  she  is  losing,  and  the  tinkers  are 
running  away  from  our  boats.  They  ought  to 
when  our  fellows  are  short-handed." 

"  I  guess  you  are  right,  Mad,"  added  the  skip 
per,  as  he  looked  about  him,  as  if  in  search  of 
something.  "  The  wind  comes  stronger  and 
stronger,  and  I  think  I  shall  Avant  my  long  tiller. 
It  is  in  the  cuddy  forward  ;  will  you  hand  it  to  me, 
Jeff  Monroe  ?  " 

Jeff  produced  the  spare  tiller,  and  passed  it 
astern  to  the  skipper.  It  was  about  three  feet 
long,  and  was  made  of  the  toughest  oak.  Bissell 
took  it,  and  placed  it  at  his  side,  between  himself 
and  the  prisoner.  Though  Paul  knew  that  his 
arms  were  free,  he  had  not  removed  them  from 
the  position  in  which  the  cord  had  kept  them,  and 
no  one  but  the  skipper  suspected  that  he  was  not 
still  in  bonds. 


OK,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  213 

All  that  the  owner  had  said  about  rough  seas 
had  been  uttered  to  blind  the  six  ruffians.  It  was 
rough,  but  not  nearly  so  bad  as  it  had  been  in  the 
forenoon  farther  from  the  land.  Bissell  had  be 
come  more  interested  that  day  in  sailing  a  boat 
than  he  had  ever  been  before.  He  had  obtained  a 
good  many  new  ideas  on  the  subject,  and  was 
really  desirous  of  reducing  them  to  practice. 
Without  saying  anything  about  his  intention,  he  had 
gradually  let  off  the  sheet,  and  put  up  the  helm 
until  the  Silver  Moon  was  now  a  full  mile  from 
the  shore,  and  was  exposed  to  the  entire  force  of 
the  moderate  gale. 

The  Beech  Hill  barges  followed  the  sloop,  but 
the  Chesterfields  were  inclined  to  keep  near  the 
shore.  The  latter  were  short-handed,  and  this 
was  doubtless  their  excuse.  The  sailboat  was 
now  at  least  half  a  mile  from  the  Gildrock.  Bis 
sell  was  glowing  with  his  new  ideas,  and  ho  was 
disposed  to  profit  by  the  instructions  of  the  skip 
per  of  the  Goldwing  while  they  were  fresh  in  his 
mind.  Suddenly  he  hauled  in  the  sheet,  and 
threw  the  sloop  up  into  the  wind  and  then  let  her 
off.  on  the  starboard  tack.  Laying  a  course  which 
would  take  him  back  to  the  mouth  of  the  creek, 
he  trimmed  the  sail  and  let  her  drive. 


214  STEM    TO    STERN; 

"  What  under  the  canopy  are  you  doing,  Mr. 
Bissell?"  demanded  Mad  Twinker  angrily. 

"I  am  afraid  the  Dasher  will  not  catch  us  if  I 
run  off  any  farther,"  replied  Bissell. 

"  No  matter  whether  she  catches  you  or  not. 
All  you  have  to  do  is  to  land  us  at  Sandy  Point, 
on  the  bay  side,"  added  the  leader  of  the  ruffians. 

"  I  guess  we  had  better  run  back  a  piece,"  said 
Bissell,  unmoved  by  the  wrath  of  his  passengers. 

"  We  don't  wish  to  go  back,"  protested  Jeff 
Monroe.  "  Do  you  want  the  tinkers  to  board  us 
and  take  our  prisoner  out  of  the  sloop  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  care  if  they  do." 

"Don't  you?  Well,  we  do  !  We  won't  stand 
this  sort  of  thing.  We  hire  the  boat,  and  she 
must  go  where  we  say,"  replied  Jeff,  rising  from 
his  seat,  boiling  over  with  wrath.  "We  won't 
stand  it!" 

'*  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?"  inquired 
Bissell  in  the  mildest  of  tones. 

"I  order  you  to  come  about  and  take  us  to 
Sandy  Point,  as  you  agreed  to  do." 

"I  didn't  agree  to  do  anything  of  the  kind.  I 
told  you  I  would  take  Paul  on  board,  and  then  the 
rest  of  you,  when  you  asked  me  to  do  so.  That 's 
the  whole  of  it." 


OR,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  215 

"  This  is  treachery,"  yelled  Mad  Tvvinker. 

"Well,  if  it  is,  I  think  we  have  carried  this* 
thing  about  far  enough.  I  hadn't  any  idea  of 
helping  you  to  hand  Paul  over  to  Major  Billcord. 
I  would  sink  my  carcass  to  the  bottom  of  the  lake 
first,"  continued  the  skipper  of  the  Silver  Moon, 
warmly. 

"  All  we  have  to  do,  fellows,  is  to  take  posses 
sion  of  the  boat,"  shouted  Jeff  Monroe,  as  he 
made  a  rush  aft. 

"Back  into  your  seat,  or  I  will  spill  you  into 
the  lake  !  "  said  Bissell  sharply. 

But  Jeff  was  not  to  be  intimidated  by  a  threat, 
and,  supported  by  Mad,  he  made  a  dive  at  the 
skipper.  Suddenly  the  spare  tiller  appeared  in 
air,  in  the  hands  of  Paul,  and  then  it  came  down 
upon  the  head  of  Jeff  Monroe. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

AN      OUTRAGE      IN      THE      STANDING-ROOM     OF     THE 
SLOOP. 

TEFF  MONROE  fell  all  in  a  heap  at  the  door 
of  the  cuddy;  but  his  fall  did  not  deter  his 
fellow-ruffians  from  advancing  upon  the  skipper. 
Buck  Lamb  threw  himself  in  front  of  Mad 
Twinker,  as  though  he  intended  to  redeem  his 
escutcheon  from  the  stain  of  defeat.  Bissell  was 
no  more  a  fighting  character  than  Paul,  and  he 
had  not  the  least  idea  of  "  science."  Buck  was  in 
proper  position  to  make  or  receive  an  attack,  and 
the  skipper  had  risen  from  his  sitting  posture 
when  the  prisoner  did. 

Instead  of  hitting  as  a  pugilist  should,  Bissell 
reached  out  his  long  arm,  and  took  the  bully  by 
the  collar  of  his  uniform,  jerked  him  over  once, 
and  then  tossed  him  upon  the  prostrate  form  of 
Jeff  Monroe.  Mad  Twinker  had  bravely  followed 
up  the  attack  until  he  was  in  reach  of  the  skipper's 
arm,  and  he  was  tumbled  over  in  a  heap. 

213 


STEM   TO   STERN.  217 

But  Bissell  could  not  do  duty  with  his  long  arms 
and  steer  at  the  same  time  ;  and  the  Silver  Moon, 
now  having  a  strong  weather  helm,  came  up  into 
the  wind,  and,  with  her  boom  shaking  in  the  midst 
of  the  combatants,  began  to  roll  as  though  she 
intended  to  pitch  the  ruffians  overboard  without 
any  help  from  her  owner.  Jackson,  Sumner  and 
Douglas  had  retreated  from  the  after  part  of  the 
standing-room,  and  the  motion  of  the  boat,  made 
more  unsteady  by  the  movements  of  the  ruffians, 
pitched  them  all  into  the  seats. 

Buck  Lamb  and  Mad  Tvvinker  rose  to  their  feet 
as  soon  as  they  could,  but  Jeff  Monroe  was  not  yet 
in  a  condition  to  move.  The  skipper  put  the  helm 
up,  and  the  sloop  filled  away  again.  Paul  had 
advanced  a  pace,  and  taken  a  seat  near  the  skip 
per,  but  with  the  spare  tiller  ready  to  deal  a  blow 
as  soon  as  a  head  came  near  enough  to  receive  it. 

The  ruffians  looked  at  the  heavy  tiller  in  the 
hand  of  Paul,  and  then  they  looked  at  the  long 
arms  of  the  skipper.  While  they  were  gazing 
there  was  a  halt  all  along  the  line,  which  afforded 
an  opportunity  for  reflection.  Some  of  them  cast 
their  eyes  about  them  for  something  in  the  shape 
of  a  weapon.  The  spare  tiller  seemed  to  be  the 
only  stick  that  would  answer  the  purpose  of  a  club, 


218  STEM   TO   STERN; 

except  the  crutch  used  to  support  the  boom  when 
the  sail  was  furled,  and  that  was  under  the  owner's 
seat. 

Both  Mad  and  Buck  seemed  to  realize  that  they 
could  do  nothing  without  bringing  that  tiller  down 
upon  their  heads,  and  its  descent  was  almost  sure 
to  reduce  them  to  the  condition  of  Jeff  Monroe, 
who  was  just  beginning  to  show  some  signs  of  life. 
While  they  were  thinking  about  it,  the  skipper 
came  about,  and  headed  the  sloop  towards  the 
shore.  When  he  had  done  so,  he  picked  up  the 
crutch,  and  placed  it  on  the  seat,  by  his  side. 

The  Silver  Moon  was  now  headed  in  the  direc 
tion  of  Sandy  Point.  The  Beech  Hill  barges  were 
some  distance  astern  of  her,  and  the  Chesterfields 
at  least  a  quarter  of  a  mile  farther  to  the  westward. 

"I  don't  think  it  is  quite  safe,  Paul,  to  leave 
these  fellows  lying  round  loose  in  the  standing- 
room,"  said  Bissell,  when  he  had  the  boat  well  in 
hand  on  the  new  tack.  At  the  same  time  he  drew 
out  from  the  locker  under  him  the  ropes  from 
which  he  had  selected  the  reef  pendant. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?  "  demanded  Mad 
Twinker,  before  Paul  had  time  to  reply. 

"  I  mean  that  I  shall  be  under  the  disagreeable 
necessity  of  tying  your  arms  behind  you,  just  as 


OH,    BUILDING   THE    BOAT.  219 

you  had  Paul  when  you  brought  him  on  board," 
replied  Bissell ;  but  his  tone  and  manner  did  not 
indicate  that  the  duty  was  a  very  unpleasant  one. 

"  But  we  won't  stand  it ! "  replied  Mad 
angrily. 

"Won't  you?"  continued  Bissell,  as  he  took 
the  crutch  in  his  hand. 

"I  protest  against  such  an  outrage  !  "  exclaimed 
Ham  Jackson. 

"Oh,  you  protest,  do  you?  And  you  really 
think  it  would  be  an  outrage?"  said  Bissell,  in  a 
mocking  tone. 

"  We  are  students  in  the  Chesterfield  Collegiate 

O 

Institute,  and  we  are  the  sons  of  gentlemen,"  re 
turned  Ham,  with  dignity.  "  Of  course,  it  would 
be  an  outrage  to  put  us  in  bonds,  like  common 
felons." 

"  Precisely  so  ;  then  we  will  tie  your  hands  be 
hind  you  like  uncommon  felons.  We  won't  quar 
rel  about  words,  for  you  can  beat  me  every  time 
in  that  line.  I  suppose  it  was  not  an  outrage  for 
you  to  attack  Paul  Bristol,  six  to  one,  in  the 
street,  and  tie  his  hands  behind  him,"  replied  the 
skipper,  with  a  very  heavy  sneer.  "He  don't 
happen  to  belong  to  the  Institute,  but  he  is  a  mem 
ber  of  the  Beech  Hill  School." 


220  STEM   TO   STERN; 

"We  don't  care  what  he  is,"  interposed  Mad 
Twinker.  "  We  won't  submit  to  be  bound  !  We 
won't  stand  such  an  indignity  ! " 

"You  think  you  won't?  I  don't  believe  I  shall 
have  much  trouble  in  tying  the  hands  behind  him 
of  that  fellow  on  the  floor,"  continues  Bissell. 
"It  is  for  you  to  decide  whether  you  will  have 
your  hands  tied  before  or  after  you  are  knocked 
stiff.  I  will  begin  with  you,  Mr.  Twinker." 

"No,  you  won't!"  cried  Mad,  as  he  sprang 
from  his  seat,  and  rushed  madly  upon  the  skipper. 

Bissell  was  on  his  feet,  and,  reaching  out  his 
long  arm,  he  took  his  assailant  by  the  throat,  in 
spite  of  the  wild  blows  he  aimed  at  him.  This 
time  he  did  not  pitch  him  on  the  floor,  but  choked 
him  till  the  ruffian  began  to  feel  weak,  and  to 
relax  his  struggles. 

"You  take  the  tiller,  Paul,  but  don't  let  go  the 
spare  one.  If  one  of  them  moves  aft,  knock  him 
as  you  did  the  first  fellow,"  said  Bissell,  as  he 
picked  up  the  reef  pendant  he  had  cut  off. 

Paul  took  the  helm.  He  had  steered  a  sailboat 
before,  though  he  knew  next  to  nothing  about  the 
general  management  of  the  craft,  and  kept  her  as 
she  was.  By  this  time  Mad  was  decidedly  faint, 
and  the  owner  had  no  difficulty  in  tying  his  arms 


OR,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  221 

behind  him.  When  he  had  done  so,  he  picked  up 
the  crutch  again,  and  stepped  forward.  His  next 
victim  was  Buck  Lamb ;  but  as  about  all  the  vim 
had  gone  out  of  the  bully,  it  was  an  easy  job  to 
secure  him.  The  other  four  ruffians  made  no 
resistance  worth  mentioning,  for  the  crutch  in  the 
hand  of  the  skipper  was  an  awful  weapon  ;  so  was 
the  spare  tiller  which  Paul  wielded.  If  the  ruffians 
could  have  got  hold  of  anything  in  the  way  of 
clubs,  doubtless  they  would  have  held  out  longer. 

As  it  was,  they  were  completely  vanquished. 
Bissell  had  ranged  them  three  on  a  side  as  he 
bound  them,  and  they  had  not  been  inclined  to 
move.  Possibly  they  thought  they  were  in  a  bad 
condition  to  save  themselves  if  the  Silver  Moon 
had  taken  it  into  her  head  to  upset  and  spill  them 
into  the  angry  lake. 

"  We  are  all  right  now,  Paul.  Don't  you  say 
so  ?  "  said  the  skipper,  as  he  seated  himself  on  the 
weather  side  and  took  the  helm. 

"  I  should  say  that  we  were, "replied  the  late  pris 
oner  heartily.  "You  have  saved  me,  Mr.  Bissell, 
from  an  awful  pounding  at  the  hands  of  Major 
Billcord  and  his  son ;  and  I  owe  you  a  thousand 
thanks.  I  shall  never  forget  what  you  have  done 
for  me  to-day." 


222  STEM    TO    STERN  ; 

"I  think  I  got  saved  myself  this  forenoon," 
added  the  skipper;  "and  I  guess  I  know  how  it" 
feels.  I  think  we  should  all  have  been  drowned 
in  the  Silver  Moon  if  it  had  n't  been  for  the  Beech 
Hi  Hers  ;  and  I  don't  feel  as  though  I  could  ever  do 
half  enough  for  them.  We  are  not  square  yet, 
Paul,  and  you  did  your  share." 

"I  didn't  do  much;  it  was  Dory  Dornwood 
who  did  it  all,"  answered  Paul  modestly. 

"It  cut  me  like  a  sharp  razor  to  give  in  to  a 
mere  boy  on  sailing,  but  Dory  knows  more  about 
a  boat  with  his  eyes  shut  than  I  do  with  mine  wide 
open.  He  did  n't  put  on  any  airs,  either,"  contin 
ued  Bissell,  with  enthusiasm. 

"  By  the  big  wooden  spoon,  there  comes  the 
Sylph  !  "  exclaimed  Paul,  as  the  steam  yacht  cams 
out  from  behind  Barber's  Point.  "  Captain  Gild- 
rock  is  on  board  of  her,  and  you  may  be  sure  he 
will  put  things  to  rights  in  double  quick  time." 

"  All  right ;  I  am  glad  he  is  coming,  for  I  don't 
know  what  to  do  with  these  fellows,  now  that  we 
have  them  Avhere  they  can't  set  the  lake  on  fire." 
added  the  skipper,  as  he  glanced  at  the  Sylph. 
M  We  will  keep  on  as  AVC  are,  for  I  suppose  she  is 
going  over  to  Beaver  River." 

"  I  think  you  have  carried  this  thing  about  far 


OK,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  223 

enough,  Mr.  Bissell,"  said  Mad  Twinker,  after 
he  had  taken  a  glance  at  the  steam  yacht. 

"  Not  quite,  Mr.  Twinker,"  replied  the  skipper, 
with  a  smile.  "I  shall  carry  it  about  as  far  as  that 
steam  yacht,  and  then  I  don't  care  a  button  what 
becomes  of  it." 

"You  mean  by  that  to  hand  us  over  to  the 
principal  of  the  Beech  Hill  School?"  inquired 
Ham  Jackson. 

"I  reckon  it  amounts  to  that." 

"  If  you  settle  the  thing  that  way,  you  will  have 
to  answer  to  Colonel  Buckmill,"  added  Mad 
Twinker. 

"I  am  ready  to  answer  to  him.  Do  you  think 
the  principal  of  the  Chester.field  school  will  justify 
you  in  committing  such  an  outrage  as  you  have 
put  on  Paul  Bristol  ? "  demanded  Bissell  indig 
nantly. 

rt  Then  why  don't  you  hand  us  over  to  Colonel 
Buckmill?" 

"So  I  would  if  he  happened  along  here  at  about 
this  time.  Perhaps  the  other  principal  will  pass 
you  over  to  Colonel  Buckmill,"  suggested  the 
skipper,  with  a  sort  of  chuckle,  as  though  he  had 
his  doubts  on  the  subject.  "Six  of  you  set  upon 
Paul  in  the  most  cowardly  manner,  and  —  " 


224  STEM    TO    STERN; 

"  Only  two  at  a  time,"  interposed  Buck  Lamb. 

"How  was  it,  Paul?"  asked  Bissell. 

The  intended  victim  of  the  ruffians  told  his  story 
in  full,  not  omitting  to  mention  the  punishment  he 
had  bestowed  upon  his  assailants.  Bissell  ex 
pressed  himself  very  emphatically  in  regard  to  the 
cowardly  character  of  the  assault,  and  was  glad 
Paul  had  defended  himself  till  he  was  overpowered 
by  numbers.  The  faces  of  some  of  the  ruffians 
bore  the  marks  of  his  hard  fists,  and  they  were 
probably  booked  for  mourning  eyes  by  the  next 
day. 

By  this  time  the  Silver  Moon  was  off  Sandy 
Point.  Paul  had  watched  with  interest  the  move 
ments  of  the  Sylph.  When  first  seen  she  was 
headed  for  Scotch  Bonnet,  which  was  her  direct 
course  when  homeward  bound ;  but  she  soon 
shifted  her  helm,  as  though  she  was  going  up  to 
Westport.  . 

"She  is  going  to  make  a  landing  at  the  town," 
said  Paul,  when  he  noticed  the  change  of  course. 

"I  am  sorry  for  that,  for  I  thought  she  was 
coming  over  this  way,"  replied  Bissell. 

"Captain  Gildrock  must  see  all  the  barges,  and 
I  am  sure  he  will  run  over  here  as  soon  as  he 
makes  them  out,"  added  Paul. 


OR,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  225 

The  words  were  hardly  out  of  his  mouth  before 
the  head  of  the  steamer  was  turned  in  the  direction 
of  the  Beech  Hill  barges,  which  were  not  half  a  mile 
astern  of  the  Silver  Moon.  The  skipper  decided 
to  come  about,  and  stand  back  to  the  fleet.  Be 
fore  he  could  reach  the  boats,  the  Sylph  had 
stopped  her  screw,  and  was  hailing  the  Gildrock. 
Oscar  Chester  informed  him  that  Paul  Bristol  had 
been  taken  a  prisoner  by  six  of  the  Chesterfields, 
and  that  the  skipper  of  the  sloop  was  conveying 
him  to  Sandy  Point.  This  was  all  the  commodore 
knew  about  the  matter,  but  it  was  enough  for  the 
captain.  He  started  the  screw  again,  and  in  a  few 
moments  he  had  overhauled  the  Silver  Moon. 

From  the  pilot-house  the  principal  could  see 
the  condition  of  things  in  the  standing-room  of  the 
sloop.  Again  Captain  Gildrock  rang  one  bell,  and 
then  two.  As  the  steamer  lost  her  headway  the 
Silver  Moon  rounded  to  under  her  lee  side,  where 
she  had  still  water. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

AN   INVITATION   TO    SANDY    POINT. 

~T  SHOULD  like  to  hand  these  fellows  over  to 

you,  Captain  Gildrock,"  said  Bissell,  hailing 

the  principal.     "  We  have  tied  their  hands  behind 

them,   and  they  won't  set  the  lake  on  tire  just 

yet." 

"I  should  like  to  know  something  more  about 
the  case.  Will  you  send  Bristol  on  board  to 
report  to  me?"  replied  Captain  Gildrock.  "  Mr. 
Wolfenden,  of  Westport,  is  on  board,  and  will 
join  you  in  the  boat." 

"  Wolfenden  !  Why,  he  is  the  deputy  sheriff !  " 
exclaimed  Bissell.  "  I  guess  he  is  the  very  man 
we  want." 

"Mr.  Bulfington  is  also  on  board,"  added  the 
principal. 

"  Perhaps  both  of  us  had  better  go  on  board  of 
the  Silver  Moon,"  said  Mr.  Wolfenden,  for  both 
he  and  Bulfington,  who  was  a  constable,  were  in  the 
pilot-house. 

226 


STEM   TO   STERN.  227 

"  I  should  like  to  have  one  of  you  remain  and 
hear  the  statement  of  Bristol,  upon  whom  this  out 
rage  has  been  perpetrated,"  added  Captain  Gild- 
rock.  "As  Bulfington  is  the  constable,  perhaps 
he  had  better  remain." 

The  deputy  sheriff  was  satisfied  to  let  it  be  so, 
and  he  went  on  board  of  the  sloop.  The  two 
officers  had  been  down  to  Port  Henry  on  official 
business,  and,  manifesting  quite  an  interest  in  the 
Sylph,  the  principal  had  invited  them  to  take  pas 
sage  to  Westport  in  her.  As  the  officer  went  on 
board  of  the  sloop,  Paul  left  her,  and  hastened  to 
the  pilot-house. 

"Well,  Bristol,  it  seems  that  you  did  not  see 
the- last  of  the  trouble  at  Sandy  Point  yesterday," 
said  the  principal,  bestowing  a  look  of  kindness 
and  sympathy  upon  the  new  pupil.  "  Your  face 
looks  as  though  you  had  had  a  hard  time  of  it 
to-day." 

"  The  toughest  time  I  have  had  yet,  but  not  so 
tough  as  it  would  have  been  if  Mr.  Bissell  had  not 
stood  by  me,  and  got  me  out  of  the  scrape.  We 
did  him  a  good  turn  this  forenoon,  and  he  did  not 
forget  it,"  replied  Paul. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Paul,"  added  Mr.  Bul 
fington,  taking  him  by  the  hand.  "It  is  about 


228  STEM  TO  STERN; 

time  the  pranks  of  those  students  should  come  to 
an  end ;  and  I  think  the  people  of  Westport  have 
had  about  enough  of  them." 

"What  service  did  you  render  to  Mr.  Bissell?" 
asked  Captain  Gildrock. 

"  It  is  rather  a  long  story,  sir ; "  but  Paul  pro 
ceeded  to  relate  it  in  full,  and  he  soon  found 
that  both  of  his  auditors  were  deeply  interested 
in  it. 

"  My  daughter  was  one  of  the  six  girls,"  said 
Mr.  Bulfington,  when  the  spare  hand  had  finished 
his  narrative.  "  I  am  sure  I  owe  the  boys  a  debt 
of  gratitude  which  I  shall  never  expect  to  dis 
charge." 

Paul  then  gave  the  particulars  of  the  assault 
upon  him  very  minutely,  and  described  the  events 
which  had  followed  his  capture  up  to  the  present 
moment. 

"  It  would  have  gone  terribly  hard  with  you, 
Paul,  if  Major  Billcord  had  got  you  over  to  the 
point,  for  there  is  no  more  reason  or  mercy  in  him 
than  there  is  in  a  fighting  bulldog,"  added  the 
constable.  "  He  has  got  money  enough  to  pay  all 
damages,  and  he  would  not  mind  a  thousand  or 
two  if  he  got  his  revenge  in  full." 

"  These  boys  must  have  been  employed  to  cap- 


OR,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  229 

ture  Bristol,"  said  the  principal,  whose  face  was 
flushed  with  indignation.  "  Mrs.  Bristol  this 
morning  gave  her  son  into  my  charge,  and  he 
shall  not  be  abused  while  he  is  in  my  care." 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  about  it,  Captain 
Gildrock?"  asked  Mr.  Bulfington. 

"  I  shall  prosecute  the  ruffians  first ;  and  if  I  can 
prove  that  Major  Billcord  employed  them  to  assault 
my  pupil,  I  will  prosecute  him,"  replied  the  cap 
tain. 

The  principal  went  to  the  side  and  had  a  brief 
talk  with  Bissell.  It  was  arranged  that  the  skip 
per  should  convey  the  boys  to  Westport,  the  con 
stable  going  with  him.  Mr.  Wolfenden  returned 
to  the  steamer,  and  instructed  the  captain  in  the 
proper  method  of  procedure  in  the  court. 

Bissell  lost  no  time  in  getting  under  way.  The 
ruffians  were  utterly  crestfallen  when  they  under 
stood  that  they  were  to  be  prosecuted  for  the  out 
rage  upon  Paul.  Very  likely  Colonel  Buckmill  and 
the  magnate  would  choose  to  regard  it  as  a  mere 
lark,  a  little  wildness,  on  the  part  of  the  students, 
which  ought  to  be  passed  over  without  any  appeal 
to  the  courts. 

Before  this  time  the  Beech  Hill  barges  had  come 
to  the  side  of  the  Sylph.  The  Chesterfield  barges 


230  STEM  TO  STERN; 

h.ad  given  the  steamer  a  wide  berth.  They  were 
close  up  to  the  shore,  and  were  pulling  in  the 
direction  of  Sandy  Point.  Major  Billcord  could 
not  help  seeing  his  minions  on  board  of  the  sail 
boat,  and  to  suspect  that  they  had  come  to  grief; 
but  he  could  not  prevail  on  the  coxswains  to  go 
near  any  of  the  craft  from  the  other  side  of  the 
lake. 

Paul  remained  on  board  of  the  Sylph,  for  his 
evidence  was  needed  in  Westport  in  getting  out 
the  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  the  ruffians.  The 
principal  gave  no  orders  of  any  kind  to  the  com 
modore  of  the  fleet,  and  he  was  left  to  do  as  he 
pleased.  The  students  were  consulted  in  regard 
to  their  washes.  Dory  had  gone  on  board  of  the 
Silver  Moon  as  soon  as  the  Marian  came  alongside 
of  the  steamer,  and  had  obtained  from  Bissell  all 
the  details  of  the  capture  of  Paul,  and  the  sub 
sequent  events. 

The  Sylph  stood  over  to  the  town,  and  the  three 
boats  locked  together  for  a  conference.  The  first 
thing  was  to  hear  Dory's  account  of  Paul's  adven 
tures.  Then  they  decided  to  wait  until  the  Sylph 
started  for  home,  for  they  were  tilled  with  curios 
ity  to  know  what  might  be  done  with  the  ruffians. 

Just  then  they  discovered  that  the  Chesterfield 


OR,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  231 

barges  were  lying  on  their  oars  off  the  southern 
arm  of  Sandy  Point.  They  had  some  curiosity, 
and  doubtless  were  more  interested  than  their 
rivals.  All  the  boats  retained  their  positions  for 
over  an  hour,  when  the  Sylph  was  seen  to  leave 
the  wharf.  In  a  few  minutes  more  she  had  crossed 
the  bay,  and  stopped  her  screw  near  the  Marian. 
The  eight-oar  barge  was  ordered  to  come  along 
side  the  steamer,  and  Paul  was  taken  on  board. 

Of  course  they  could  not  separate  until  the  stu 
dents  had  heard  the  news  from  Westport.  In  a 
few  words  the  spare  hand  informed  them  that  a 
warrant  had  been  issued  on  the  testimony  of  Paul 
and  Bissell,  and  the  six  ruffians  had  been  com 
mitted  to  the  lockup.  They  were  to  be  examined 
the  next  day,  and  the  witnesses  were  duly  sum 
moned.  In  the  presence  of  the  magistrate  Buck 
Lamb  had  broken  down,  and  he  declared  that  they 
bad  been  employed  by  Major  Billcord  to  capture 
Paul  for  the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars.  Two  of 
the  others  indorsed  this  statement,  and  the  prin 
cipal  had  procured  a  warrant  for  his  arrest,  which 
was  now  in  the  hands  of  the  constable.  Captain 
Gildrock  had  procured  the  services  of  the  best 
lawyer  in  the  county  of  Essex  to  look  after  the 
business  for  him. 


232  STEM  TO  STERN; 

The  news  from  Westport  was  very  satisfactory, 
and  the  question  seemed  to  be  whether  or  not  a 
man  who  had  money  enough  to  pay  the  bills  could 
outrage  a  poor  boy  with  impunity.  Captain  Gild- 
rock's  blood  boiled,  though  it  did  not  bubble,  or 
otherwise  manifest  its  condition. 

The  commodore  gave  the  order  for  a  start,  and 
in  a  short  time  the  barges  came  up  with  the  Ches 
terfields,  though  they  were  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
farther  out  in  the  lake.  The  Sylph  was  hardly 
moving  through  the  water,  the  principal  doubtless 
holding  her  back  to  see  that  no  trouble  arose  be 
tween  the  two  schools.  He  took  the  precaution  to 
run  the  steam  yacht  between  the  two  parties,  and 
soon  found  himself  within  hailing  distance  of  the 
Dasher,  with  Major  Billcord  in  the  stern-sheets. 

The  two  gentlemen  were  somewhat  acquainted, 
and  had  occasionally  met  on  the  lake  and  at  the 
bank  in  Burlington.  As  the  Sylph  went  lazily 
along,  the  captain  discovered  a  white  handkerchief 
hoisted  on  a  stick,  and  saw  that  the  Dasher  was 
pulling  towards  the  steamer.  He  rang  his  bell 
to  stop  her,  and  she  awaited  the  pleasure  of  the 
barge. 

"Captain  Gildrock,  you  and  I  have  always  been 
good  neighbors,  though  we  don't  live  on  the  same 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  233 

side  of  the  lake,"  said  Major  Billcord,  standing  up 
in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  barge.  "I  feel  it  my 
duty  to  give  you  a  friendly  warning.  I  learn  that 
a  young  scoundrel  by  the  name  of  Paul  Bristol, 
whose  family  I  have  charitably  harbored  on  my 
land  without  the  payment  of  rent,  came  over  to 
Westport  to-day  with  the  students  of  your  school. 
He  is  a  young  villain,  and  I  warn  you  not  to  trust 
him." 

"I  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  a  very 
good  boy,"  replied  the  captain. 

"You  are  utterly  mistaken,  sir!"  protested  the 
major.  "  He  assaulted  both  my  son  and  myself, 
for  which  I  intend  to  punish  him  in  the  severest 
manner.  His  mother  and  sister  live  on  the  point 
here,  in  a  cottage  owned  by  the  woman  ;  and  the 
boy  lived  here  before  he  went  to  Genverres,  if  he 
has  gone  over  there.  I  warned  the  woman  to 
move  her  house  at  once.  She  has  not  done  it,  and 
I  shall  tumble  the  building  into  the  lake.  It  will 
make  some  sport  for  our  boys,  and  I  thought  yours 
might  like  to  see  the  fun,  and  learn  a  good  lesson 
in  the  administration  of  human  justice.  I  should 
be  happy  to  have  your  steamer  and  your  barges 
take  position  near  the  point,  where  you  can  see  the 
proceedings." 


234  STEM   TO   STEHN; 

Captain  Gildrock  made  no  repty,  and  the  Dasher 
pulled  away  without  waiting  for  any.  The  two 
Chesterfield  barges  ran  their  bows  into  the  sand  in 
front  of  where  the  cottage  had  stood,  and  the 
Sylph,  after  whistling  for  the  Beech  Hill  barges  to 
approach,  followed  the  Dasher.  The  barges  from 
the  other  side  pulled  to  the  entrance  of  the  bay, 
and  lay  upon  their  oars. 

"  Now  is  the  time  for  the  fun  to  begin,  and  we 
are  invited  to  see-  it,"  said  Dick  Short  to  Paul,  who 
sat  by  his  side. 

"  I  think  there  will  be  some  fun,  though  it  will 
not  be  what  Major  Billcord  and  his  crowd  came  to 
see,"  added  Dory. 

On  board  of  the  Dasher,  Jack  Woodhorn  had 
risen  from  his  seat,  after  he  had  given  the  order 
for  the  oarsmen  to  boat  their  oars.  All  the  stu 
dents  were  busy  attending  to  their  blades.  Wood- 
horn  was  evidently  looking  for  the  cottage  ;  but 
he /lid  not  see  it.  Then  the  magnate  stood  up; 
then  all  the  students  in  the  two  boats  stood  up,  and 
then  both  barges  were  nearly  upset  by  this  folly, 
and  the  coxswains  ordered  their  crews  to  be 
seated. 

"Did  I  understand  you  to  say  there  was  a  cot 
tage  here  to  be  tumbled  into  the  lake  to  illustrate 


OR,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  235 

the  administration  of  human  justice,  Major  Bill- 
cord?"  called  Captain  Gildrock,  who  had  placed 
the  bow  of  the  Sylph  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
stern  of  the  Dasher. 

"I  don't  understand  this,"  replied  the  magnate. 
"The  cottage  was  here  yesterday,  and  it  was  quite 
impossible  for  the  woman  to  move  it.  Send  the 
young  gentlemen  ashore  to  see  if  they  can  find 
it." 

The  young  gentlemen  could  not  find  it.  The 
site  where  it  had  stood  was  smoothed  over  as 
nicely  as  though  the  building  had  never  been 
there.  The  major  said  it  was  a  great  mystery. 

"No  human  justice  to-day,  then?"  queried  the 
principal  of  the  Beech  Hill  school.  "Perhaps 
divine  justice  had  got  ahead  of  human  justice  in 
this  instance,  as  it  sometimes  does." 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  it,  sir?"  de 
manded  the  major  angrily. 

"  The  cottage  was  removed  to  Genverres  by  the 
students  of  the  Beech  Hill  Industrial  School  last 
night,"  replied  the  captain. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    PROCEEDINGS    AT    SANDY    POINT. 

TT  is  to  be  regretted  that  Major  Billcord  set  a 
•  very  bad  example  to  the  Chesterfield  students 
by  using  profane  language  when  the  Beech  Hill 
principal  "  let  the  cat  out  of  {lie  bag."  At  first 
he  was  not  inclined  to  believe  the  statement,  for  it 
seemed  incredible  to  him  that  any  company  of 
boys  should  have  been  able  to  put  the  cottage  on  a 
boat  and  convey  it  across  the  lake. 

Captain  Gildrock  was  obliged  to  explain  how 
the  work  had  been  clone,  before  he  would  accept 
the  solution  of  the  mystery.  The  principal  offered 
to  take  him  over  to  the  school  grounds  and  show 
him  the  cottage  if  he  had  any  doubts  on  the  subject. 

"  It  was  a  shabby  trick  on  your  part,  after  all," 
said  Major  Billcord,  when  he  had  got  the  expla 
nation  through  his  head.  "  I  don't  interfere  with 
your  affairs  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  and  I 
don't  know  of  any  reason  why  you.  should  meddle 
with  mine." 

236 


STEM   TO   STERN.  237 

"As  I  understand  the  matter,  major,  you  warned 
Mrs.  Bristol  to  remove  her  cottage  within  twenty- 
four  hours,  or  you  would  tumble  it  into  the  lake," 
replied  the  captain.  "I  simply  allowed  the  stu 
dents  to  assist  the  good  woman  in  doing  what 
you  required  her  to  do." 

"  You  knew  very  well  that  this  was  a  case  of 
discipline  on  this  side  of  the  lake,"  replied  the 
major,  waxing  exceedingly  wrathy.  "My  son  was 
attacked  in  the  most  brutal  manner  by  that  wo 
man's  cub,  and  she  upheld  the  young  villain,  and 
wpuld  not  allow  him  to  be  punished  as  he  deserved. 
Of  course,  I  knew  the  woman  could  not  remove 
the  cottage,  and  it  would  have  been  here  now  if 
you  had  not  meddled  with  my  business,  like  a  very 
bad  neighbor." 

"  I  don't  care  to  discuss  the  assault,  as  you  call 
it,  with  you,  but  I  think  the  boy  and  his  mother 
were  fully  justified  in  their  action,"  replied  the 
principal,  in  firm  but  gentle  tones. 

"You  do,  do  you?"  demanded  the  major. 
"The  young  rascal  abused  my  son.  Look  at  his 
face,"  and  he  pointed  at  the  interesting  features  of 
Walk,  who  sat  in  the  boat  listening  to  what  his 
father  said.  "  When  I  interfered  to  save  my  son 
from  serious  injury,  he  flew  at  me  like  a  wildcat, 
and  look  at  my  eyes." 


238  STEM   TO   STERN; 

"Why  didn't  you  prosecute  the  boy  in  the 
court,  and  have  him  properly  punished  ? "  sug 
gested  the  captain,  looking  rather  sarcastically  at 
the  magnate. 

"  I  don't  do  business  in  that  way,"  returned  the 
major,  boiling  over  with  anger.  "  I  shall  punish 
the  young  rascal  myself!  I  shall  do  it  here  at 
Sandy  Point,  where  the  outrage  was  committed. 
I  have  taken  steps  to  have  him  brought  here  for 
that  purpose." 

"  Then  you  expect  Paul  to  be  brought  here,  do 
you?"  asked  Captain  Gildrock,  astonished  at  the 
remarks  of  the  magnate,  for  he  had  not  a  doubt 
that  he  had  seen  what  had  transpired  while  the 
sailboat  was  alongside  the  Sylph. 

"I  do  expect  him  here  very  soon;  and  I  shall 
tie  him  up  to  a  tree  and  give  him  such  a  thrashing 
that  he  won't  get  off  his  bed  for  one  month  after  it ! " 
exclaimed  Major  Billcord,  flourishing  a  rawhide  in 
the  air  as  he  spoke. 

"This  strikes  me  as  rather  brutal,"  added  the 
principal. 

"  Brutal  ?  Look  in  Walker's  face  !  Look  in 
my  face  !  Were  the  blows  that  made  these  marks 
brutal,  or  were  they  not?  I  shall  have  satisfac 
tion  for  them ! " 


OE,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  239 

Captain  Gildrock  was  trying  to  explain  to  him 
self  how  it  happened  that  the  magnate  knew 
nothing  of  what  had  taken  place  alongside  the 
steam  yacht.  As  he  thought  the  matter  over  he 
understood  it  better.  The  Sylph  had  been  be 
tween  the  Silver  Moon  and  the  Chesterfield  barges, 
so  that  they  could  not  see  what  took  place  on  the 
lee  side  of  her. 

While  Paul  was  telling  his  story  in  the  pilot 
house,  the  Chesterfields,  finding  the  Beech  Hill 
boats  gathering  around  the  steamer,  had  pulled 
close  up  to  the  shore,  and  continued  on  their  way 
to  Sandy  Point.  Neither  Major  Billcord  nor  the 
students  with  him  had  been  troubled  with  a  doubt 
in  regard  to  the  fidelity  of  Bissell  to  their  inter 
ests.  Even  if  he  was  faithless,  he  had  the  six  ruf 
fians  with  him,  and  they  would  be  more  than  a 
match  for  a  single  man. 

However  it  had  happened,  it  appeared  that  the 
magnate  and  the  crews  with  him  knew  nothin^  at 

fD  O 

all  about  the  capture  of  the  ruffians.  They  had 
waited  off  the  point  till  the  Beech  Hill  fleet  came 
up,  and  they  concluded  that  the  sloop  was  stand 
ing  off  towards  Westport  to  avoid  a  meeting  with 
the  "tjnkers." 

The  magnate  wished  the  visitors  from  the  other 


240  STEM  TO  STERN; 

side  to  see  the  destruction  of  the  cottage,  and  he 
had  invited  them  to  be  spectators  of  the  expected 
frolic.  He  had  decided  to  attend  of  the  cottage 
first,  so  that  the  Beech  Hillers  might  see  the  fun, 
and  to  administer  the  punishment  to  Paul  Bristol 
after  they  had  gone,  for  he  did  not  care  to  have 
them  witness  that  spectacle. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  laboring  under  a  mistake, 
Major  Billcord,"  continued  Captain  Gildrock. 
"Did  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  expected 
Paul  here  to  be  punished  for  his  brutality?  " 

"  That  is  precisely  what  I  do  expect ;  and  he 
will  be  here  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour.  But  I 
need  not  detain  you  any  longer,  sir,"  replied  the 
magnate,  with  very  ill  grace.  "  There  is  no  mis 
take  about  it,  you  may  depend  upon  it." 

"If  you  will  pardon  me,  there  is  some  mistake, 
for  Paul  Bristol  is  here  now."  added  the  captain. 
"  Marian,  ahoy  !  Back  down  this  way,"  he 
shouted  to  the  barges,  which  were  lying  at  the 
entrance  to  Sandy  Bay. 

The  crews  were  lying  on  their  oars,  and  Dick 
Short  promptly  gave  the  order,  "  Stern  all,"  and 
the  Marian  soon  put  her  stern  very  near  the  bow 
of  the  steamer. 

"Stand  up,  Bristol,  and  show  yourself,"  said 
the  captain. 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  241 

Paul  stood  up  in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  barge, 
and  Major  Billcord  looked  at  him  as  though  he 
had  been  a  spectre  from  some  neighboring  grave 
yard.  Then  he  had  a  moment's  animated  conver 
sation  with  the  coxswain  at  his  side.  It  was 
another  mystery,  and  possibly  the  magnate 
thought  he  was  in  the  middle  of  the  last  chapter 
of  a  novel.  How  had  it  been  possible  for  him  to 
get  out  of  the  clutches  of  the  six  ruffians? 

But  the  mystery  suddenly  paled,  and  the 
major  threw  himself  into  a  towering  passion. 
The  object  of  his  intended  vengeance  was  before 
him.  Jack  Woodhorn,  at  the  request  of  the  mag 
nate,  summoned  his  crews  from  the  shore.  It 
looked  as  though  the  enraged  major  intended  to 
attempt  the  capture  of  his  victim  under  "the  very 
eyes  of  the  Beech  Killers. 

"That  is  Paul  Bristol,  as  you  may  see  for 
yourself,  Major  Billcord,"  said  Captain  Gildrock, 
when  he  observed  the  preparations  on  the  part  of 
the  Chesterfields  to  do  something.  "  He  is  now  a 
student  in  the  Beech  Hill  Industrial  School ;  and 
to  him,  for  the  time  being,  I  stand  in  the  relation 
in  loco  parentis ;  I  shall  protect  him  to  the  fullest 
extent." 

"  Captain  Gildrock,  this  is  unfriendly  to  me, 
and—" 


242  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"  But  friendly  to  the  boy  and  his  mother,  who 
need  a  friend  more  than  you  do,"  interposed  the 
principal.  "The  six  ruffians  you  hired  to  capture 
that  poor  boy  have  been  arrested  and  committed 
to  the  lockup.  Some  of  them  admitted  that  they 
were  employed  by  you  to  do  this  piece  of  villany, 
and  there  is  a  warrant  out  for  your  arrest.  Doubt 
less,  the  facts  will  all  come  out  at  the  examination 
to-morrow  forenoon  ;  and  if  it  appears  that  I  have 
done  ytm  any  wrong,  I  shall  be  prepared  to  make 
you  abundant  reparation." 

"  A  warrant  for  my  arrest !  "  exclaimed  Major 
Billcord,  sinking  down  into  his  seat. 

"  I  have  employed  the  Hon.  Richard  Law  brook 
to  look  after  the  case  in  my  absence,  and  I  hope 
justice  will  be  done,"  added  the  captain  as  he 
rang  two  bells  in  the  pilot-house. 

At  the  same  time  the  principal  made  a  motion 
with  his  hand,  in  the  direction  of  home,  to  the 
boats  ahead  of  the  steamer.  The  barges  backed 
into  position,  and  the  commodore  shouted  the 
order  to  give  way.  In  a  minute  more  they  were 
in  line,  pulling  down  the  lake,  but  keeping  near 
the  shore. 

Major  Billcord  did  not  utter  a  word  to  anj'one. 
He  was  in  deep  thought.  Very  likely  his  impul- 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  243 

sive  nature  had  led  him  to  organize  the  plan  for 
the  capture  of  Paul  without  any  consideration  of 
the  possible  consequences.  He  was  by  far  the 
richest  man  in  that  region,  and  owned  no  end  of 
shares  in  all  the  industrial  and  commercial  enter 
prises  of  that  part  of  the  State.  He  was  a  man  of 
large  influence,  and  was  not  over-scrupulous  in 
regard  to  the  use  of  it.  With  such  po\ver,  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  having  his  own  way,  though  there 
were  a  few  people  in  the  neighborhood  who  con 
trived  to  maintain  their  own  independence,  even  at 
the  risk  of  quarrelling  with  the  magnate. 

Among  the  latter  was  the  Hon.  Richard  Law- 
brook,  a  prominent  lawyer  in  the  county,  who  had 
been  made  a  senator,  though  without  pledges,  in 
part  by  the  influence  of  the  major.  But  when  the 
legislator  was  requested  and  pressed  to  promote 
by  his  eloquence  a  more  than  questionable  enter 
prise,  his  conscience  revolted,  and  he  refused  his 
aid.  This  had  produced  a  bitter  quarrel  between 
himself  and  the  magnate,  though  all  the  honest 
people  believed  that  the  senator  was  an  upright 
and  just  man. 

Doubtless,  the  mention  of  the  senator's  name  had 
produced  a  decided  effect  upon  the  mind  of  the 
magnate.  Mr.  Lawbrook  was  a  man  of  influence, 


244  STEM  TO  STERN; 

who  believed  that  the  laws  should  be  impartially 
executed  upon  the  rich  as  well  as  the  poor.  The 
prospect  ahead  was  not  pleasant. 

There  was  no  "  pile  of  fun  "  to  be  had  at  the 
point  that  day,  and  Commodore  Wbodhorn  backed 
away  from  the  beach  as  soon  as  his  crews  were  in 
a  condition  to  do  so.  Without  asking  the  major 
any  questions,  he  conveyed  his  distinguished  pas 
senger  over  to  the  town,  and  landed  him  at  the 
steps.  The  procession  was  formed  to  escort  him 
to  his  elegant  mansion  when  Mr.  Bulfington 
appeared,  and  respectfully  announced  that  he  had 
a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  the  object  of  the  parade. 
The  major  was  impatient  when  the  officer  presented 
himself,  and  told  him  to  call  at  his  house  if  he  had 
any  business  with  him. 

The  constable  politely  intimated  that  it  was  a 
criminal  proceeding,  and  that  he  was  under  the 
necessity  of  taking  his  prisoner  wherever  he  could 
find  him.  He  treated  the  culprit  just  as  though 
he  had  been  a  poor  man,  which  was  a  new  expe 
rience  to  the  magnate.  He  was  taken  to  the 
lockup,  and  confined  in  a  cell.  With  the  major 
behind  the  bars,  Mr.  Bulfington  was  complaisant 
enough  to  do  anything  he  required.  A  couple  of 
wealthy  friends  were  sent  for,  and  the  major  and 


Oil,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  245 

the  six  ruffians  were  bailed  out  in  the  course  of  an 
hour. 

There  had  been  some  earnest  talk  between  Cap 
tain  Gildrock  and  Mr.  Lawbrook,  for  the  former 
wished  to  know  whether  justice  represented  a  sub 
stantial  idea  in  the  State  of  New  York.  The  sen 
ator  was  confident  that  all  men  were  equal  before 
the  law  ;  and  as  he  had  more  influence  with  the  con 
stable  than  any  other  person  had,  Mr.  Bultington 
was  unwilling  to  assume  any  special  responsibility 
in  regard  to  his  powerful  prisoner. 

The  Beech  Hill  fleet  went  home,  and  not  only 
the  students,  but  the  families  at  the  mansion  and 
at  Hornet  Point  had  enough  to  talk  about  for  the 
rest  of  the  day.  The  next  morning,  when  all  the 
students  except  Paul  were  at  their  studies  in  the 
school-room,  the  Sylph,  with  Mrs.  Bristol  and 
Lily  on  board  with  Paul,  sailed  for  Westport. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE    STUDENTS    DECIDE    "  WHAT  5S    IN    A   NAME." 

HV/TAJOR  BILLCORD  had  the  services  of  a 
distinguished  lawyer  from  Plattsburgh  and  of 
another  from  Elizabethtown  to  defend  himself  and 
the  six  ruffians.  They  almost  made  a  "celebrated 
case "  of  it.  They  got  the  trial  into  the  county 
court,  and  the  six  ruffians  were  sentenced  to  ten 
days  confinement  in  the  county  prison,  and  the 
major  himself  to  thirty  days. 

The  assault  and  the  conspiracy  were  too  outra 
geous,  in  the  opinion  of  the  justice,  to  be  punished 
with  a  simple  fine.  The  workingmen  and  the 
farmers  had  got  hold  of  the  case  and  talked  a 
great  deal  about  it.  Against  the  advice  of  the 
eminent  legal  gentlemen  he  employed,  Paul  Bristol 
was  prosecuted  for  the  first  assault  upon  Walker 
Billcord,  and  this  brought  in  the  testimony  of  Lily 
and  her  mother,  which  the  lawyers  wanted  to 
keep  out.  This  evidence  completed  the  history  of 
the  case  by  filling  in  the  beginning  of  the  trouble. 
246 


STEM   TO    STERN.  247 

Paul  was  fully  justified  and  acquitted,  and  the 
people  praised  him  for  his  defence  of  his  sister. 
Fathers  and  mothers  were  interested,  for  they 
looked  to  the  law  for  the  protection  of  their  chil 
dren.  Every  effort  was  made  to  save  the  magnate 
from  the  disgrace  of  being  confined  in  a  common 
prison,  but  public  sentiment  would  have  been  in 
dignant,  and  he  had  to  serve  out  his  time. 

The  farmers  and  mechanics  were  inclined  to  go 
as  far  the  wrong  way  in  one  direction  as  the  major 
and  his  friends  were  in  the  other.  The  magnate 
was  a  "  soulless  capitalist,"  a  "  bloated  bond 
holder,"  and  he  suffered,  especially  among  the 
mill  hands,  for  this  senseless  reason.  But  the 
judge  was  even-handed  between  the  two  parties, 
and  the  major  learned  a  lesson  which  was  worth 
half  his  fortune  to  him  —  that  before  the  law  he 
was  no  more  than  the  equal  of  the  poor  man. 

Four  of  the  six  ruffians  were  taken  from  the  in 
stitute  by  their  parents,  who  had  sent  them  there 
to  be  fitted  for  college,  and  they  were  sure  that 
their  sons  had  been  led  away  by  the  influence  of 
Major  Billcord,  and  by  the  lack  of  proper  disci 
pline  in  the  school.  Three  others  were  removed 
for  the  same  reason.  The  loss  of  these  pupils 
was  a  severe  blow  to  Colonel  Buckmill,  who  had 


248  STEM    TO    STERN; 

condemned  the  conduct  of  the  major  from  the 
first. 

Though  other  students  were  soon  obtained  to 
take  their  places,  and  even  to  increase  the  number 
of  pupils  in  the  school,  the  colonel  realized  that 
he  was  not  managing  the  institution  on  the  right 
principle.  The  magnate  had  lost  much  of  his  in 
fluence  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  principal  found  that 
he  could  afford  to  be  independent  of  him,  for  it 
would  pay  better. 

On  the  day  of  the  examination,  Captain  Gild- 
rock  called  the  students  of  Beech  Hill  together  in 
the  school-room  in  the  afternoon,  after  the  studies 
had  been  finished.  The  model  to  which  he  had 
alluded  at  the  time  of  his  lecture  on  shipbuilding 
was  still  on  the  table  where  it  had  been  placed 
on  that  occasion.  The  students  had  examined  it 
with  a  great  deal  of  interest.  They  had  read  all 
they  could  find  in  the  books  in  the  library  on  the 
subject,  and  studied  the  three  plans  on  the  wall. 

They  were  very  impatient,  as  young  men 
always  are,  to  begin  the  actual  work  of  building 
the  boat.  It  was  even  more  to  their  taste  than 

N 

erecting  a  house,  though  many  of  them  were  now 
competent  to  frame  a  building  from  the  plans. 
The  subject  of  a  name  for  the  craft  had  engaged 


OR,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  249 

their  attention,  and  they  had  given  a  great  deal  of 
thought  to  it.  They  were  all  ambitious  to  name 
the  schooner,  and  a  great  variety  of  names  was 
likely  to  be  presented.  They  had  all  been  handed 
in  ;  and  when  the  principal  announced  that  the  first 
business  was  to  select  one  from  them,  Mr.  Bent- 
nick  handed  him  the  envelope  which  contained 
them. 

"Lily, "said  the  captain,  laughing,  as  he  took 
the  first  paper  from  the  enclosure. 

All  the  boys  looked  very  good-natured,  though 
something  like  embarrassment  appeared  upon  the 
faces  of  not  a  few  of  them. 

"Lily,"  continued  the  captain,  reading  the  sec 
ond  suggestion. 

The  good-natured  looks  expanded  into  smiles. 

"Lily,"  the  principal  said  again,  as  he  drew  out 
the  third  paper.  The  smile  became  a  little  more 
intense. 

"Lily,"  repeated  the  principal  once  more,  and 
then  he  emptied  all  the  slips  of  paper  from  the 
envelope,  and  began  to  sort  them  over. 

Principal,  instructors  and  students  were  all 
laughing  merrily  by  this  time.  It  was  evident 
that  the  boys  were  very  impressible  fellows,  and 
had  been  captivated  by  the  beauty  of  Miss  Bristol. 


250  STEM   TO    STERN; 

Possibly  some  of  them  were  disturbed  because 
they  found  that  others  had  made  the  same  selec 
tion  as  their  own. 

"They  are  not  all  alike,"  said  Captain  Gildrock, 
when  he  had  finished  sorting  the  papers.  "  Only 
about  two  thirds  of  them  are  'Lily.'  It  is  cer 
tainly  a  very  pretty  name,  and  there  is  no  flower 
more  pure  and  beautiful  than  the  lily.  But  the 
name  is  rather  general  and  indefinite.  "We  have 
the  tiger  lily,  the  lily  of  the  valley,  the  pond  lily, 
and  other  kinds.  What  do  you  say  to  calling  the 
schooner  the  Pond  Lily  ?  " 

"  No,  sir  !  "  shouted  a  majority  of  the  students, 
with  one  voice. 

" The  Tiger  Lily,  then?" 

"  No,  sir,"  was  the  emphatic  reply. 

"Then  Lily  of  the  Valley?" 

"  No,  sir  ! "  again  voted  the  majority. 

"  Perhaps  I  shall  have  to  ask  Miss  Millweed  for 
the  names  of  other  kinds  of  lilies,"  added  the 
principal,  with  a  very  pleasant  smile. 

"  None  of  them  ! "  exclaimed  the  crowd,  encour 
aged  by  the  cheerful  expression  of  the  captain. 

"  None  of  them  ?  " 

"Lily  Bristol!"  called  Luke  Bennington.  "I 
put  in  another  name,  but  that  is  what  the  fellows 
mean." 


OR,    BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  251 

"Yes,  sir  !  "  cried  the  majority. 

Captain  Gild  rock  improved  this  opportunity  to 
say  something  about  the  influence  of  female  society, 
and  especially  of  young  ladies.  If  Beech  Hill 
were  not  a  school  of  mechanic  arts,  he  should 
be  in  favor  of  having  as  many  young  ladies  as 
young  gentlemen  on  its  roll  of  pupils.  He  was 
in  favor  of  co-education,  whereat  Mr.  Bentnick 
shook  his  head,  and  seemed  to  be  uneasy  in  his 
seat,  though  Mr.  Darlingby  showed  a  disposition 
to  clap  his  hands.  The  captain  was  an  old-fash 
ioned  man,  he  said,  but  he  hoped  he  had  modern 
and  progressive  ideas.  He  was  not  in  favor  of 
"  pretty  girls." 

At  this  point  about  half  a  dozen  of  the  students 
gave  something  like  a  suppressed  groan.  The 
principal  paused,  the  dissentients  wished  they  had 
said  nothing ;  but  he  did  not  add  a  word.  He 
seemed  to  feel  that  they  had  as  much  right  to  ex 
press  themselves  in  this  manner  as  to  applaud,  or 
express  themselves  in  other  ways. 

"I  don't  believe  in  pretty  girls  as  such,"  he  con 
tinued,  "because  they  monopolize  the  sole  atten 
tion  of  young  men,  to  the  exclusion  of  others  even 
more  worthy  who  are  personally  less  attractive. 
But  I  hardly  expect  young  gentlemen  to  adopt 


252  STEM  TO  STERN; 

my  views  on  this  subject  before  they  have  lived 
to  be  as  old  as  I  am.  When  you  have  an  oppor 
tunity,  boys,  bestow  some  attention  upon  the 
'wallflowers.'" 

He  had  not  intended  to  say  so  much  on  this  part 
of  the  subject,  and  he  resumed  the  general  topic. 
Ladies  should  be  treated  with  the  utmost  respect, 
whether  attractive  or  not,  and  even  if  they  did  not 
conduct  themselves  like  ladies.  He  did  not  pro 
hibit  the  students  from  associating  with  the  young 
ladies  of  Genverres  and  the  neighboring  towns, 
under  proper  circumstances,  and  thought  female 
society  was  beneficial  to  them.  But  profound  re 
spect  must  be  the  basis  of  such  relations.  There 
should  be  nothing  like  undue  familiarity  with 
them,  and  a  young  lady,  even  if  not  more  than 
fifteen,  should  not  be  addressed  by  her  Christian 
name  except  by  her  relatives.  It  must  always  be 
"Miss  Bristol,"  and  not  "Lily,"  or  even  "Miss 
Lily." 

"  Not  Miss  Lily  ?  "  said  a  puzzled  student. 

"  That  is  a  grade  of  familiarity  between  the  sur 
name  and  the  given  name,  proper  enough  for  per 
sons  who  are  intimate  enough  to  use  it,  but  not 
applicable  in  the  present  instance.  Now,  to  return 
to  the  name  of  the  schooner,  from  which  the  papers 


OR,    BUILDING   THE    BOAT.  253 

withdrew  my  attention.  I  atn  entirely  willing  that 
you  should  give  her  a  name." 

After  what  the  principal  had  said  about  pretty 
girls,  most  of  the  students  concluded  that  any 
attempt  to  give  the  name  of  one  of  that  sister 
hood  to  the  craft  would  be  vetoed.  They  were 
not  quite  satisfied  to  have  their  wishes  disregarded. 
His  last  words,  however,  gave  them  a  little  encour 
agement.  The  principal  picked  up  the  slips  of 
paper  and  counted  them,  or  a  portion  of  them. 

"Twenty-three  have  given  in  the  name  of  '  Lily,' " 
said  he,  taking  up  those  which  indicated  some  other 
name.  rt  Charnplain,'  'Lake  Bird,'  '  Lake  Gem,' 
'  Saranac,'  and  the  names  of  most  of  the  lakes  and 
rivers  in  Vermont.  Among  them  are  '  Addison' 
(our  county),  'Genverres,'  either  of  which  would 
be  a  very  good,  and  a  very  appropriate  name.  I 
don't  like  the  fancy  names,  such  as  '  Gem  of 
the  Lake,'  as  well  as  the  more  substantial  ones. 
Now  you  may  vote  on  the  question,  and  the  name 
among  those  I  have  read  which  has  a  majority 
shall  be  the  one  selected." 

This  announcement  brought  out  some  applause. 
Then  the  captain  said  it  would  be  in  order  for  any 
student  who  wished  to  recommend  any  particular 
name,  to  say  what  he  pleased  on  the  subject. 


STEM  TO  STERN; 

This  permission  brought  Luke  Bennington  to  his 
feet. 

"  I  don't  believe  there  is  a  craft  on  the  lake  now 
called  the  'Champlain.'  There  has  been  a  large 
steamer,  but  she  is  no  longer  in  existence,"  said 
the  speaker,  Avith  considerable  earnestness.  "In 
my  opinion  —  and  I  have  seen  the  lakes  of  Scot 
land  and  Switzerland  —  Lake  Champlain  is  the 
finest  lake  in  the  world." 

"  Oh  !  Oh  !  Oh  !  "  murmured  several  listeners. 

"Of  course  the  size  of  the  lake  comes  into  the 
comparison,  or  Lake  George  might  be  nothing  by 
the  side  of  a  little  pond  between  a  couple  of  hills. 
We  have  the  Adirondacks  on  one  side,  and  the 
Green  Mountains  on  the  other ;  and,  taking  every 
thing  into  consideration,  I  vote  for  Lake  Champlain 
as  the  finest.  For  this  reason,  and  because  it  is 
the  element  on  which  the  schooner  is  to  figure,  I 
hope  its  name  will  be  given  to  her." 

Another  student  spoke  in  favor  of  "Battenkill," 
but  he  proved  to  be  the  only  one  who  had  ever 
heard  the  name.  He  explained  that  it  was  a  river 
which  had  its  source  in  Vermont,  though  it  soon 
wandered  into  New  York.  A  third  student  spoke 
for  "Addison,"  and  a  fourth  for  "  Genverres." 
The  advocates  of  "  Lily  "  seemed  to  be  conscious 


OR,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  255 

of  their  strength,  and  all  of  them  were  too  bashful 
to  make  a  speech  in  its  favor. 

Mr.  Darlingby  passed  around  the  box,  and  all 
voted.  The  ballots  were  quickly  counted  by  the 
instructors,  who  appeared  to  be  quite  as  much  in 
terested  as  the  boys,  and  the  principal  read  the 
result.  It  was  evident  then  that  a  few  did  not 
care  a  straw  for  the  name,  and  voted  for  the  fun 
of  it. 

''  Tiger  Lily,  1  ;  Pond  Lily,  1  ;  Lake  Gem,  1  ; 
Genverres,  1  ;  Addison,  1  ;  Battenkill,  1  ;  Cham- 
plain,  2  ;  Lily,  28,"  the  principal  read  from  the 
paper  made  out  by  Mr.  Bentnick. 

The  vote  Avas  received  with  tremendous  applause, 
and  the  students  continued  to  clap  their  hands 
until  the  captain  raised  his  finger  as  a  signal  for 
them  to  cease. 

"  The  schooner  will  be  called  the  '  Lily,' "  added 
the  principal. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

BUILDING    THE    BOAT. 

"TTTHILE  the  boys  were  getting  over  the  excite 
ment  attending  the  vote  on  the  name  of  the 
unbuilt  schooner,  Captain  Gildrock  moved  the 
table  on  which  the  model  of  the  craft  stood  to 
the  front  of  the  platform,  where  all  could  see  it. 
It  was  a  very  graceful  form,  and  the  nautical  boys 
were  sure  that  the  schooner  would  be  a  fast 
sailer. 

"I  told  you  before,"  said  the  principal,  "that 
this  model  was  constructed  on  a  new  plan  ;  but  I 
have  since  learned  that  the  idea  is  not  as  original 
as  I  supposed  it  was,  and  that  boats  have  been 
built  by  this  method.  I  supposed  I  should  be  the 
first  to  introduce  it,  but  I  find  I  am  not,  though 
the  model-maker  had  never  made  one  before. 

"The  plans  are  drawn  and  the  model  made  on 
the  scale  of  one  inch  to  a  foot.  Whatever  mea 
sures  an  inch  in  the  plan  or  model  measures  a  foot 
in  the  boat.  Every  stick  in  the  craft  will  there- 

256 


STEM   TO   STERN.  257 

fore  he  twelve  times  the  size  it  is  in  this  model. 
The  Lily  will  have  a  beam  of  thirteen  feet,  which 
is  a  little  more  than  one-third  of  the  length. 

"This  model  is  made  of  soft  pine  and  inahogan}'. 
The  ribs  are  to  be  twenty-one  inches  from  the  cen 
tre  of  one  to  the  centre  of  the  next  one.  What 
looks  to  you  like  the  space  between  the  timbers, 
or  ribs,  is  pine.  The  mahogany  strips,  which  are 
comparatively  narrow,  represent  the  timbers.  The 
pieces  are  tranverse  sections  of  the  hull,  made 
separately  and  put  together. 

"This  is  the  stem,"  continued  the  principal,  de 
taching  the  piece  from  the  model.  "A  model  of 
it  is  to  be  made  of  soft  wood,  enlarged  to  twelve 
times  the  size  of  this  piece.  Removing  a  piece  of 
the  pine,  we  come  to  a  mahogany  section.  As  the 
bow  is  round,  these  sections  radiate  from  a  shorter 
line  on  the  keel  than  the  horizontal  line  above  it 
on  the  deck  would  be." 

The  captain  held  up  one  of  these  diagonal  sec 
tions,  the  top  or  deck  part  of  which  was  in  the 
shape  of  a  triangle  with  a  very  acute  angle.  The 

o  «,  o 

parts  were  in  pairs,  one  belonging  on  each  side  of 
the  bows. 

"The  outer  edge  of  this  half  section  gives  the 
shape  of  the  bow  where  this  piece  belongs.  If 


258  STEM   TO    STERN; 

you  lay  it  on  a  smooth  board,  you  can  mark  from 
it  the  exact  curve  of  the  timber  which  is  to  go 
where  this  piece  is  taken  out.  It  must  be  enlarged 
to  twelve  times  the  size  of  the  section.  Of  course 
the  outer  surface  of  the  section  only  is  of  any  use 
to  you ;  but  having  obtained  the  exact  shape  of 
the  outside,  the  rib  may  be  made  of  any  width 
and  thickness  we  wish." 

The  principal  removed  several  of  the  diagonal 
half  sections,  all  of  which  were  to  be  treated  like 
the  first  one.  At  the  widest  part  of  the  model  he 
came  to  pieces  which  were  of  uniform  thickness. 
These  were  also  in  pairs,  separated  on  the  vertical 
plane  above  the  keel.  The  lines  of  the  outer  sur 
face  in  these  half  sections  were  to  be  transferred 
and  enlarged  as  before,  and  the  mould  or  pattern 
was  to  be  made  from  them. 

In  this  manner  the  model  was  pulled  to  pieces, 
and  from  the  edges  of  the  transverse  sections 
the  shape  of  the  craft  was  to  be  obtained.  The 
stern-post,  stern-knees  a«d  transoms  were  to  be 
shaped  in  the  same  way.  The  captain  stated 
that  the  model  represented  the  craft  after  she  was 
planked,  and  it  would  be  necessary,  in  drafting  the 
moulds,  to  allow  for  its  thickness. 

Mr.  Jepson  then  took  the  platform  and  explained 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  259 

in  what  manner  the  outlines  of  the  half  sections 
were  to  be  enlarged.  To  give  all  the  details 
would  take  a  whole  volume,  and  doubtless  it  would 
be  very  dry  reading  to  most  young  people.  Only 
an  idea  of  how  the  work  was  to  be  done  can  be 
given,  and  those  who  wish  to  build  such  a  craft  as 
the  Lily,  or  even  a  boat  or  a  canoe  of  a  third  of 
her  length,  need  full  drawings  and  very  minute 
explanations.* 

These  lectures  used  up  the  rest  of  the  afternoon. 
The  next  day  was  devoted  to  making  the  moulds. 
At  the  end  of  ten  days  the  frame  was  ready  to  set 
up.  The  keel  was  laid  down  at  an  angle  of  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  to  the  foot,  so  that  it  would 
readily  slide  off  when  the  time  came  to  launch  it. 
The  boys  had  been  studying  on  the  subject,  and 
the  principal  had  supplied  the  library  with  all  the 
available  works.  They  labored  very  hard  because 
they  were  very  deeply  interested. 

Setting  up  the  frame  was  an  exceedingly  exciting 
labor  with  them ;  but  when  it  was  up  they  found 
the  shape  corresponded  with  the  model.  Some 

*The  editor  of  "Forest  and  Stream"  has  prepared  a  work 
for  amateurs,  called  "  Canoe  and  Boat  Building,"  which  may  be 
obtained  of  the  publishers  of  that  valuable  paper,  or  at  the 
bookstores. 


260  STEM   TO    STERN  ; 

had  done  their  work  better  than  others,  and  here 
and  there  it  was  necessary  to  do  considerable  fit 
ting.  In  another  week  the  frame  was  ready  for 
the  plunking.  Captain  Gildrock  gave  frequent 
lectures  on  the  proper  methods  of  doing  the  work, 
and  explained  the  construction  of  larger  vessels 
than  the  Lily. 

A  part  of  the  Champlain  mechanics,  as  they  still 
called  themselves,  worked  in  the  shop,  and  a  part  in 
the  building-shed.  There  were  a  great  many  bolts 
of  iron  and  copper,  and  a  great  many  metal  plates, 
braces  and  straps  to  be  prepared,  which  gave 
abundant  employment  to  the  machinists,  who  had 
been  instructed  by  the  head  of  this  department  in 
forge-work,  as  wrell  as  filing  and  turning. 

The  carpenters  had  plenty  to  do  in  the  shop, 
with  abundant  opportunity  to  learn  many  things 
which  are  not  required  in  the  ordinary  experience 
of  such  mechanics.  There  was  also  room  enough 
for  the  exercise  of  their  inventive  powers. 

With  so  many  enthusiastic  workmen,  who  found 
abundant  variety  in  their  operations  as  the  schooner 
advanced  towards  completion,  the  planking  was 
soon  finished.  Then  a  dozen  of  the  carpenters 
went  to  work  upon  it  with  the  smoothing-planes, 
and  the  outer  surface  was  made  as  smooth  as  a 
floor. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  2G1 

The  hull  rested  in  the  cradle  which  had  been 
erected  for  it,  and  the  tops  of  the  timbers  were 
secured  in  their  places  by  cross-stays.  So  far, 
little  or  nothing  had  been  said  about  the  interior 
of  the  hull,  for  the  reason  that  the  frame  and  plank 
ing  had  absorbed  all  the  attention  of  the  workmen. 
The  next  step  was  to  put  in  the  deck-beams,  and 
secure  the  shelves  on  which  they  were  to  rest. 

"Now,  boys,  \ve  must  decide  upon  the  plan  for 
the  inside  of  the  schooner,"  said  the  principal,  when 
he  had  called  the  students  together  in  the  building- 
shed.  "  What  accommodations  shall  we  provide  on 
board?" 

"A  cabin  and  a  standing-room,"  replied  Life 
Windharn. 

"Like  the  Goldwing,"  suggested  Matt  Kan- 
dolph. 

"  The  Goldwing  contains  a  cabin,  cook-room  and 
standing-room.  We  can  have  all  these  on  a  larger 
scale  in  the  Lily  ;  and  there  will  be  space  in  the 
run  for  a  store-room  and  ice-house,  with  a  door 
into  it  from  the  cabin." 

"  Behind  the  steps  at  the  companion-way,"  added 
Matt. 

"  There  is  no  other  way  to  reach  it  unless  you 
put  a  scuttle  in  the  floor  of  the  standing-room, 


262  STEM  TO  STERN; 

which  is  liable  to  leak,"  replied  the  principal. 
"The  steps  can  be  hung  on  hinges  and  turn  up, 
but  I  think  it  is  better  to  slip  them  back  out  of 
the  way.  How  long  will  you  have  the  cabin?" 

"How  much  clear  space  have  we  inboard?" 
asked  Luke  Bennington. 

"  About  thirty  feet,  after  allowing  for  the  bend 
of  the  bows  and  the  rake  of  the  stern,"  answered 
the  principal. 

"  Cabin  fourteen  feet,  I  should  say,"  continued 
Luke.  "That  will  leave  eight  feet  besides  the 
overhang  for  the  standing-room,  and  the  same  for 
the  cook-room." 

"  That  was  my  calculation,"  replied  Captain 
Gildrock.  "Then  we  want  a  trunk  fourteen  feet 
long,  which  may  be  about  nine  feet  wide  on  the 
main  deck.  This  will  make  a  very  roomy  apart 
ment  for  a  lake  craft.  On  each  side  of  it  we 
must  build  up  transoms,  or  divans,  for  seats  or 
berths.  As  we  have  no  centreboard  in  the  mid 
dle  of  it,  there  will  be  nothing  in  our  way." 

"Why  did  n't  we  build  a  centreboard  boat?" 
asked  Matt  Randolph. 

"I  think  a  keel  boat  is  safer  and  stiffer.  In 
Lake  Cham  plain  we  have  plenty  of  water,  though 
we  shall  draw  about  five  feet  aft.  There  are  shoal 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  263 

places,  but  there  is  n't  the  least  need  of  running 
over  them." 

"In  a  centreboard  boat,  if  you  get  aground, 
there  is  a  chance  for  you  to  work  off  when  you 
cannot  in  a  keel,"  said  Matt. 

"  That  is  very  true  ;  but  I  think  the  stiffness  of 
the  keel  craft  more  than  compensates  for  the 
advantage  of  light  draft  in  these  waters." 

The  principal  then  made  a  drawing  to  illustrate 
the  method  of  putting  in  the  beams  and  the  knees 
that  were  to  support  them.  As  only  a  portion  of 
the  beams  could  extend  entirely  across  the  boat, 
on  account  of  the  elevation  of  the  trunk,  it  re 
quired  careful  work  and  planning  to  secure  the 
necessary  strength.  But  this  problem  had  been 
solved  by  the  instructors,  and  the  descriptions  of 
the  timbers  were  obtained. 

In  a  few  days  more  the  frame  of  the  trunk  and 
deck  was  in  place.  While  a  part  of  the  workmen 
were  planking  the  deck,  the  rest  were  putting 
down  the  floor  of  the  cabin,  and  building  the  tran 
soms.  Before  the  1st  of  July  the  work  on  the 
hull  was  completed.  The  boys  had  contrived  a 
great  many  lockers  in  the  cook-room  and  cabin,  for 
the  storage  of  dishes  and  cooking  utensils,  and 
for  everything  needed  on  board. 


264  STEM  TO  STERN; 

Inside  and  outside,  all  hands  went  over  the  work 
with  sandpaper.  A  gang  of  calkers  had  already 
filled  the  seams  with  oakum.  Tar,  pitch,  and 
putty  had  been  used  where  they  were  needed,  and 
no  one  considered  it  possible  for  the  craft  to  leak 
a  drop. 

A  thin  coat  of  lead  color  was  then  put  on  the 
outside,  and  one  of  white  inside.  The  boys  had 
some  skill  in  painting,  for  they  had  been  called 
upon  to  do  all  kinds  of  work,  from  laying  brick 
up  to  tinkering  a  watch.  Several  coats  were 
given  to  the  whole,  but  the  last  two  on  the  outside 
were  of  black. 

Captain  Gildrock  had  decided  to  have  an  iron 
false  keel  added,  partly  to  protect  the  wood  and 
partly  to  serve  as  ballast.  A  pattern  of  the  cast 
ing  had  been  made  and  sent  up  to  Port  Henry  to 
be  cast.  It  was  in  one  piece,  and  weighed  over  a 
ton.  Of  course,  it  had  to  be  bolted  on  before  the 
Lily  was  launched.  It  was  too  heavy  and  cum 
brous  to  be  transported  on  the  Sylph  ;  but  Mr. 
Miker  had  to  deliver  a  cargo  of  stone  at  Port 
Henry,  and  it  could  be  brought  down  on  the  gun- 
dalow.  It  was  nothing  but  fun  for  the  students  to 
tow  the  unwieldy  craft  about  the  lake,  and  the  next 
Saturday  holiday  was  to  be  used  for  this  purpose. 


OR,    BUILDING    THE   BOAT.  265 

At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  Sylph,  fully 
manned  by  the  students  this  time,  started  out  of 
the  creek  with  her  tow.  Paul  Bristol  had  been 
assigned  to  a  place  as  a  deck  hand  on  board,  and 
he  had  made  several  trips  in  the  steamer.  On  the 
present  occasion  he  had  asked  to  be  excused,  in 
order  to  attend  to  some  work  for  his  mother. 

For  two  weeks  before,  Lily  had  been  at  work 
for  Mr.  Bissell,  taking  the  place  of  Susy  Welling 
ton,  who  had  gone  to  visit  her  friends  in  Albany. 
She  had  written  to  her  mother  that  she  should 
like  to  spend  Sunday  at  home.  It  was  difficult 
and  expensive  to  get  from  Westport  to  Genverres 
then,  for  the  steamers-  did  not  go  up  Beaver 
River. 

Paul  thought  he  could  manage  it.  As  it  was  a 
still  day  on  the  lake,  he  was  going  after  her  in  the 
flatboat,  in  the  afternoon.  It  was  a  ten-mile  pull, 
but  he  was  good  for  that.  He  had  hauled  up  the 
boat  after  dinner  to  put  it  in  order,  when  he  dis 
covered  a  queer-looking  craft  coming  down  the 
creek. 


PTT 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THAT    CUNNING   TOM    TOPOVER. 

strange  craft  appeared  to  be  modelled  after 
the  catamaran,  though  the  builder  thereof  had 
never  seen  one.  It  consisted  of  two  logs  a  foot  in 
diameter  and  ten  feet  long,  which  were  placed 
three  feet  apart.  In  the  middle  of  the  supports 
two  boards  were  nailed  on  the  sticks,  so  that  the 
thing  looked  more  like  the  letter  H  than  it  did 
like  a  catamaran. 

On  the  cross-boards  was  an  old  window-glass 
box  ;  and  on  the  box  was  seated  Tom  Topover. 
He  was  the  naval  architect  of  the  structure  which 
bore  him,  and  the  craft  was  not  at  all  creditable  to 
his  ingenuity.  If  he  had  nailed  the  cross-boards 
across  the  ends  of  the  logs,  there  would  have  been 
more  stability  to  the  affair,  though  in  that  case  it 
would  have  been  stigmatized  as  a  raft. 

In  his  hand  Tom  held  a  rude  paddle  with  which 
he  was  trying  to  control  the  movements  of  the 
aquatic  chariot.  It  had  no  propelling  power,  and 

266 


STEM:  TO  STERN.  267 

floated  with  the  current  down  the  creek.  A  bend 
of  the  stream  threw  the  force  of  the  water  against 
Hornet  Point,  and  Tom  was  trying  to  keep  it 
from  going  against  the  rocks.  He  did  not  succeed 
at  all,  and  one  of  the  logs,  striking  the  hank,  twisted 
the  structure  entirely  out  of  shape. 

The  two  logs  came  together,  the  nails  which 
held  the  cross-pieces  twisting  off  with  the  slight 
shock.  Paul  saw  that  Tom  was  in  peril,  and  he 
rushed  into  the  house  to  get  his  oars,  which  he 
kept  in  his  chamber,  in  the  attic,  for  he  was  afraid 
that  some  of  the  hard-looking  boys  of  the  Topover 
herd  might  steal  his  boat.  He  had  heard  of  Tom 
before,  but  he  had  never  seen  him,  and  he  did  not 
know  that  the  fellow  on  the  queer  craft  was  he. 

Tom  Topover  dropped  from  the  box  down  upon 
the  log,  allowing  his  seat  to  fall  into  the  water. 
"With  the  paddle  in  his  hand  he  threw  around  the 
end  of  the  affair,  till  it  was  within  reach  of  Paul's 
flatboat.  Reaching  out,  he  hauled  it  in,  and 
jumped  into  it.  The  logs  floated  off  with  the 
current  of  the  little  lake. 

"You  are  there,  are  you?"  said  Paul,  as  he  re 
turned  with  the  oars. 

"Yes  I  am.  How  are  you,  Paul  Bristol?"  re 
plied  Tom,  with  a  grin  from  ear  to  ear. 


268  STEM  TO    STERN; 

"Well,  I  thank  you;  how  are  you?"  added 
Paul.  "I  thought  you  were  booked  for  a  bath, 
and  I  went  in  for  my  oars." 

"That's  right,  and  you  are  a  good  fellow. 
They  say  you  are  a  Bristol  brick." 

"  Perhaps  I  am,  but  I  don't  happen  to  know 
you,  and  can't  say  what  sort  of  a  brick  you  may 
be,"  replied  Paul. 

"  I  'm  a  perfect  brick.  Gi'  me  them  oars  and  I  '11 
pick  up  them  logs,"  continued  Tom,  extending  his 
hand  to  receive  them. 

"I  '11  help  you  do  it,"  replied  Paul,  taking  the 
painter  and  hauling  in  the  boat. 

"  What 's  your  name  ?  " 

"Jack  Sheppard,"  replied  Tom,  with  a  fresh 
grin. 

"  Have  you  got  a  rope,  Jack  Sheppard?  " 

"  Never  mind  the  logs  ;  they  don't  belong  to  me, 
and  I  don't  care  for  'em.  Can't  you  lend  me  this 
boat  a  little  spell  ?  I  Avant  to  git  some  saxifax  over 
there  for  my  mother." 

"I  can't  spare  her  now;  I  have  to  go  over  to 
Westport  after  my  sister,"  answered  Paul. 

"Be  you,  though?  I  guess  I'll  go  over  with 
you,"  said  Tom,  with  refreshing  confidence. 

"  I  thought  you  were  going  to  get  some  sassa- 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  269 

fras  for  your  mother,"  udded  Paul,  who  had  by 

this  time  come  to  the  conclusion  that  his  visitor 

was  as  queer  as  the  craft  upon  which  he  had  come. 

"  I  sruess  I  '11  2fit  it  another  time.     I  want  to  go 

O  C  O 

over  to  Westport  to  see  a  feller  I  know  there." 

"  But  I  can't  bring  you  back,  for  my  sister  is 
corning  with  me,  and  the  boat  won't  carry  more 
than  two,"  answered  Paul,  supposing  this  would 
end  the  matter. 

"All  right;  I  will  stay  with  the  feller  I  know 
all  night,"  replied  the  accommodating  stranger. 
"  I  '11  help  you  row  the  boat  over." 

Paul  was  quite  willing  to  have  the  queer  fellow 
go  with  him,  even  if  he  had  to  row  all  the  way 
himself,  for  the  flatboat  worked  better  with  two 
in  her  than  with  one.  Without  a  passenger  she 
was  too  deep  in  the  water  forward,  and  dug  her 
nose  into  the  wave.  He  had  not  the  least  idea 
who  his  visitor  was,  but  did  not  believe  he  had 
given  his  right  name.  If  he  had  known  him,  he 
would  have  given  him  the  cold  shoulder  at  once. 

"  I  am  not  ready  to  go  yet ;  I  have  to  fix  up 
the  boat  a  little,"  continued  Paul,  as  he  laid  the 
oars  on  the  beach. 

"  How  long  before  you  can  go?  I  don't  want  to 
wait  all  day,  Bristol  Brick,"  added  Tom. 


270  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"  You  need  n't  wait  one  minute  if  you  don't 
wish  to,"  replied  Paul,  who  wondered  in  what 
school  of  politeness  his  involuntary  companion 
had  been-  brought  up.  "  I  urn  going  to  wash  out 
the  boat  and  let  her  dry  a  little  before  I  go." 

"  What 's  the  use  of  washing  her  out  ?  She  is 
clean  enough  for  any  feller  to  eat  his  dinner  in," 
growled  Tom. 

"  Perhaps  she  is  if  the  fellow's  a  pig,"  said  Paul, 
as  he  hauled  the  boat  up  on  the  beach,  nearly  up 
setting  the  Topover  in  the  act. 

"Mind  out!  What  are  you  doing?  Do  you 
mean  to  spill  me  into  the  drink?"  demanded  the 
saucy  visitor. 

"  If  you  don't  get  out  of  the  boat,  you  will  be 
likely  to  get  a  ducking,"  added  Paul,  as  he  took 
up  a  pail  and  a  broom  he  had  brought  from  the 
house  before. 

Tom  looked  at  the  owner  of  the  Dragon ;  in 
fact,  he  eyed  him  from  head  to  foot.  Tom  was  a 
pugilist,  or  he  thought  he  was.  He  was  a  fighting 
character,  and  possibly  he  was  thinking  whether 
he  could  whip  the  son  of  toil,  whose  story  had 
been  told  all  over  Genverres  as  well  as  on  the 
other  side  of  the  lake. 

The  Chesterfields  had  patronized  and  encour- 


OR,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  271 

aged  Tom  Topover  the  season  before,  because  they 
believed  that  he  and  his  vicious  companions  could  as 
sist  them  in  their  encounters  with  the  Beech  Millers. 

During  the  present  season  the  students  of  the 
two  schools  had  not  come  in  collision,  for  the 
reason  that  Colonel  Buckmill  had  forbidden  his 
pupils  to  meddle  with  their  old  enemies.  Since 
the  removal  of  the  cottage  from  Sandy  Point  the 
Chesterfield  barges  had  been  down  to  Porter's 
Bay,  where  Tom  had  met  Walker  Billcord.  The 
Topover  and  his  gang  had  fully  discussed  the  at 
tempt  to  capture  Paul  Bristol,  and  were  familiar 
with  all  the  particulars. 

Tom  wished  the  magnate  had  offered  him  twen 
ty-five  dollars  for  capturing  the  fellow,  and  hand 
ing  him  over  to  the  major  at  Sandy  Point.  This 
he  said  to  Walk.  He  would  be  willing  to  do  the 
job  for  ten  dollars.  He  did  n't  think  it  was  a 
great  undertaking. 

"You  had  better  try  it  on,  then,"  added  Walk, 
morosely,  for  he  hated  Paul  not  a  particle  less 
than  when  the  son  of  toil  had  laid  him  out  on  the 
point.  "  He  will  knock  you  out  every  time,  with 
out  half  trying." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  the  feller  that  can  dp 
that ! "  exclaimed  Tom,  clenching  his  dirty  fists. 


272  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"  Have  n't  you  seen  Paul  Bristol  ?  "  asked  Walk. 

"  I  saw  him  on  the  other  side  of  the  pond  ;  I 
never  see  him  close  to.  But  I  ain't  afear'd  on  him. 
I  '11  bet  I  can  lick  him  so  he  won't  know  whether 
it 's  Sunday  or  Thanksgiving,"  blustered  Tom. 
"  Will  your  old  man  give  a  feller  anything  now  for 
ketchin'  him?"  inquired  Tom,  looking  anxiously 
into  the  face  of  Walk. 

"  He  don't  make  any  offers  for  him  now,"  added 
the  son  cautiously.  "  He  don't  want  to  get  into 
any  more  rows  about  the  fellow."  . 

"Oh,  he  don't?"  muttered  Tom,  evidently 
greatly  disappointed.  "If  your  old  man  will  only 
do  the  handsome  thing,  I  '11  scrape  this  Bristol 
Brick  till  there  ain't  nothin'  left  on  him." 

Walk  Billcord  looked  at  the  ugly  customer  at 
his  side,  and  his  thirst  for  vengeance  stirred  all  the 
bad  blood  in  his  veins.  He  had  plenty  of  spend 
ing  money,  and  he  could  even  afford  to  give  ten 
dollars  himself  for  satisfactory  vengeance.  Nim 
Splugger  and  Kidd  Digfield,  as  rough  specimens  as 
the  Topover  himself,  would  assist  Tom.  But  Walk's 
father  had  just  been  discharged  from  confinement, 
and  there  was  great  risk  in  making  the  trade  sug 
gested. 

"  You  would  be  prosecuted  if  you  did  anything," 


OR,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  273 

suggested  Walk.  "  Then  it  would  come  out  that 
I  had  a  hand  in  the  business." 

"Not  a  bit  on 't !"  exclaimed  Tom,  very  posi 
tively.  "  Jest  as  quick  as  I  git  the  ten  dollars, 
nobody  won't  see  iiothiu'  more  of  me  within  a 
hund'ed  miles  of  Lake  Champlain." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that,  Tom?"  asked 
Walk  curiously. 

"  I  'm  go'n  to  run  away.  My  old  man  is  so 
hard  on  me  that  I  can't  stand  it  no  longer.  I  'in 
go  V  to  New  York  to  ship  in  a  pirate  vessel.  I 
sha  n't  be  caught  nohow." 

"I  would  give  ten  dollars  quick  enough  to  see 
Paul  tied  to  a  tree  and  lathered  with  a  cowhide  for 
twenty  minutes  or  half  an  hour  ;  but  I  don't  make 
any  offers,  and  I  won't  hire  any  fellow  to  do  such 
a  thing,"  added  Walk,  as  he  considered  the  appall 
ing  risk. 

"I  cal'late  I  know  jest  what  you  mean,  and  you 
don't  make  me  no  oifers.  You  don't  promise  to 
give  me  no  money,"  protested  Tom. 

"What  are  you  jawing  about,  Walk?"  asked 
Ham  Jackson,  coining  up  at  this  moment. 

"Tom  Topover  oilers  to  catch  Paul  Bristol,  and 
give  him  a  lathering  that  will  keep  him  on  his  bed 
a  mouth,  for  ten  dollars  ;  but  I  won't  do  anything 


274  STEM   TO   STERN; 

of  the  sort.  I  don't  offer  him  a  cent.  I  won't 
give  him  a  penny  if  he  kills  the  rascal,"  said 
Walk,  with  as  much  earnestness  as  though  he 

o 

meant  every  word  he  said. 

"  That 's  jest  how  it  is.  He  won't  give  me 
nothin',  and  says  he  won't,"  added  Tom. 

"  If  you  choose  to  larrup  him  on  your  own  ac 
count,  it  is  none  of  my  business,"  continued  Walk. 

"  Of  course  it  is  n't,"  Ham  Jackson  chimed  in. 
"I  should  like  to  pay  that  fellow  oif  for  the  few 
cracks  he  gave  rne,  but  they  go  to  law  on  this  side, 
and  it  is  n't  safe." 

"Of  course  I  can  lick  him  if  I  want  to,  and 
't  ain't  nobody's  business,"  added  Tom,  who 
thought  he  was  very  cunning.  "  I  guess  I  under 
stand  you,  and  you  understand  me.  About  next 
Saturday  night  at  Sandy  Point,  say:" 

The  coxswain's  call  summoned  them  to  the  boat, 
and  they  parted  from  Tom  Topover.  The  latter 
believed  he  had  made  a  square  bargain  with  Walk 
Billcord,  and  ten  dollars  would  take  him  to  New 
York  and  pay  his  way  till  he  could  ship  in  a 
"pirate  vessel."  He  meant  a  pilot-boat,  for  he 
had  heard  some  one  talking  about  one  of  these 
brisk  little  schooners  a  few  days  before. 

Since  that  interview  Tom  had  watched  the  school 


OK,    BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  275 

grounds  all  the  time.  Paul  lived  on  the  point,  and 
he  could  catch  him  alone  there  some  evening.  lie 
had  built  the  queer  craft  for  use  in  his  great  enter 
prise.  He  had  seen  the  Sylph  go  down  the  river  in 
the  morning,  and  he  intended  to  put  his  scheme  in 
operation  that  evening.  Paul  often  sat  on  the 
rocks  about  dark,  and  the  opportunity  would  not 
be  wanting. 

While  he  was  nailing  the  logs  together  on  the 
other  side  of  the  creek,  a  little  way  up,  he  saw 
Paul  in  his  flatboat.  Then  it  seemed  to  him  that 
the  son  of  toil  was  as  good  as  bagged.  He  was 
absolutely  sure  he  could  handle  him,  in  spite  of 
the  experience  of  the  kid-glove  chaps  on  the  other 
side.  But  Tom  was  cunning  in  his  own  estima 
tion.  Paul  was  going  to  Westport,  and  it  was 
safer  to  do  the  job  near  Sandy  Point  than  on  the 
school  premises. 

He  could  hardly  help  bullying,  but  he  refrained 
as  soon  as  he  thought  what  he  was  doing  ;  and  half 
an  hour  later  he  embarked  in  the  flatboat  with  his 
victim. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

THE    BRILLIANT    STRATEGY   OF    THE    BRUISER. 

r  I  ^IIAT  cunning  Tom  Topover  was  actually  be 
having  himself  in  something  like  a  civilized 
manner,  in  his  desire  not  to  alarm  his  victim.  Just 
now  he  was  engaged  in  a  strategetic  enterprise, 
and  found  it  necessary  to  display  only  the  fur  side 
of  his  nature,  though  even  that  was  very  like  the 
bristles  of  a  pig.  He  did  his  best,  which  was  not 
saying  much,  to  keep  on  the  right  side  of  his  in 
tended  victim.  But  Paul  was  a  good-natured 
fellow,  and  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  conciliate  him. 
The  son  of  toil  rowed  down  the  river,  and  cross 
ing  the  shoal  water  of  Field's  Bay,  took  a  straight 
course  for  his  destination.  Tom  sat  at  the  stern, 
and  did  not  seem  to  be  as  much  inclined  to  talk  as 
he  had  been  immediately  after  the  wreck  of  the 
queer  craft.  In  fact,  he  was  turning  over  in  his 
mind  sundry  cunning  propositions,  to  accomplish 
the  purpose  for  which  he  had  embarked  in  the 
present  venture. 

276 


STEM  TO   STERN.  277 

It  was  a  good  six-mile  pull  to  Westport,  but 
Paul  was  used  to  the  Dragon,  and  she  went  ahead 
without  much  effort  on  his  part.  The  lake  was  as 
smooth  as  glass,  and  the  rower  wondered  that  it 
could  ever  be  as  rough  as  it  had  been  the  day  the 
Silver  Moon  was  so  nearly  wrecked.  Though 
he  was  as  tough  as  an  oak  knot,  and  had  not  yet 
become  tired,  he  thought  it  was  about  time  for 
the  stranger  in  the  stern  to  begin  to  do  his  share  of 
the  pulling,  for  the  boat  was  now  about  half  way 
to  Westport.  Sandy  Point  was  half  a  mile  ahead, 
and  Paul  mentioned  the  fact  as  a  hint  that  his  com 
panion  had  better  take  the  oars. 

"  They  say  you  used  to  live  there,  Bristol  Brick," 
said  Tom  in  reply,  and  without  taking  the  hint, 
which  was  altogether  too  indefinite  for  one  with  a 
skin  so  thick  and  dirty  as  the  bruiser  had. 

*'  I  lived  there  two  years,"  replied  Paul  indiffer 
ently. 

"Sho'I  You  don't  say  so!"  exclaimed  Tom, 
albeit  there  was  nothing  very  astonishing  in  the 
statement.  "They  say  the  Beech  Hill  fellers  ker- 
ried  the  house  you  lived  in  over  to  Hornet  P'int 
one  night,  and  left  everything  jest  as  though  there 
never  had  n't  been  no  house  there." 

"  That 's  all  very  true.     Major  Billcord  warned 


273  STEM  TO  STERN; 

my  mother  to  move  the  cottage  within  twenty-four 
hours,  and  told  her  he  should  pitch  it  into  the  lake 
if  she  did  n't  do  it,"  added  Paul ;  and  the  stranger 
seemed  to  be  the  only  person  in  Addison  County 
who  did  n't  know  all  the  particulars  of  the  affair. 

"  I  guess  the  major  was  a  little  struck  up  when 
he  found  it  had  scooted,"  said  Tom,  with  a  cheerful 
grin,  as  he  looked  ahead  at  the  point  where  he  had 
suggested  a  meeting  of  the  oarsman  with  Walk 
Billcord  on  the  evening  of  that  day. 

"He  was  very  much  astonished,  and  so  were  the 
students  of  the  institute,  to  whom  he  had  promised 
a  pile  of  fun  in  tipping  the  cottage  and  all  that  it 
contained  into  the  lake." 

"I  don't  see  how  the  Beech  Hill  fellers  could 
move  the  house.  I  don't  believe  they  did  it," 
added  Tom,  shaking  his  head. 

Paul  explained  how  the  job  had  been  done,  and 
assured  his  companion  he  had  seen  the  whole  work 
himself.  Tom  insisted  on  being  incredulous,  for 
just  then  he  believed  he  was  particularly  cun 
ning. 

"  I  never  went  ashore  at  Sandy  Point,  Bristol 
Brick,  and  I  should  like  to  see  how  the  land  lays 
there,"  suggested  Tom,  with  one  of  his  cheerful 
grins,  exaggerated  for  the  occasion. 


OR,  BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  279 

"  You  can  see  the  whole  of  the  shore  from  here," 
replied  Paul,  turning  around  and  pointing  out  the 
locality  of  the  cottage. 

"  But  I  want  to  see  the  place,  and  'twron't  take 
two  minutes  for  me  to  run  up  to  where  the  house 
was,"  Tom  insisted.  "  Then  I  will  row  the  rest 
of  the  way  over  to  Westport,  and  nobody  won't 
git  hurt  none." 

Paul  had  started  more  than  an  hour  earlier  than 
he  had  intended,  and  would  reach  his  destination 
before  Lily  had  finished  her  day's  work.  Besides, 
he  had  a  kind  of  affection  for  the  place  where  he 
had  lived  two  years.  Just  then  it  flashed  upon 
his  mind  that  he  hud  never  visited  the  hollow  tree 
which  had  done  duty  as  a  safe  for  the  two  dollars 
and  the  gold  rings  belonging  to  his  mother. 

In  the  excitement  of  his  last  visit  to  the  point  at 
the  invitation  of  the  magnate,  he  had  forgotten  all 
about  the  treasure.  His  mother  had  spoken  of  it 
often,  but  Paul  had  no  doubt  it  was  safe  in  its  hid 
ing-place,  for  the  money  and  rings  had  been  put  at 
a  tin  box. 

His  mother  had  spoken  of  it,  and  so  had  he,  at 
the  time  of  it,  but  latterly  it  seemed  to  have  passed 
out  of  the  memory  of  all  the  family.  Paul  pulled 
to  the  shore  as  soon  as  the  treasure  came  into  his 


280  STEM   TO   STERN; 

mind,  and  he  wondered  that  he  had  not  thought  of 
it  before.  His  mother  had  plenty  of  money  now, 
and  that  seemed  to  be  the  reason  it  had  been  for 
gotten. 

When  Paul  swung  the  boat  around,  and  headed 
it  for  the  point,  he  took  a  look  down  the  lake. 
Over  in  the  direction  of  Button  Bay  he  saw  a 
steam  yacht.  There  were  several  such  craft  on 
the  lake,  though  all  or  nearly  all  of  them  were  kept 
farther  down.  The  yacht  looked  exactly  like  the 
Sylph,  and  he  had  no  doubt  it  was  she. 

"  I  wonder  what  the  Sylph  is  doing  over  there," 
said  he,  continuing  to  pull  for  the  beach  before  him. 
"  She  went  down  to  Port  Henry  towing  the  gun- 
dalow  with  a  cargo  of  stone." 

"  I  guess  the  fellers  are  taking  a  little  turn  in 
her  while  the  men  are  unloadin'  the  stone,"  sug 
gested  Tom,  who  was  not  at  all  pleased  to  find  the 
Beech  Hill  steamer  in  this  part  of  the  lake. 

"  She  is  headed  this  way,  and  perhaps  she  is 
going  back  to  Beech  Hill  after  something  that  was 
forgotten,"  added  Paul,  as  the  Dragon  struck  the 
sand  on  the  beach. 

Paul  took  the  painter  in  his  hand  and  stepped 
ashore.  He  paused  a  moment  to  take  another'look 
at  the  Sylph.  She  was  coming  up  from  Button 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  281 

Buy  on  the  east  shore  of  the  lake,  and  this  course 
would  carry  her  within  a  mile  of  Sandy  Point. 
It  was  now  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  the 
steamer,  with  her  heavy  tow,  must  have  reached 
Port  Henry  by  eleven  at  the  latest.  If  anything 
had  been  forgotten,  they  must  have  found  it  out 
earlier  in  the  day. 

While  he  was  looking  at  the  steam  yacht  and 
wondering  what  she  was  doing  in  this  part  of  the 
lake  without  her  tow,  she  suddenly  changed  her 
course  and  stood  over  in  the  direction  of  West/port. 
This  settled  it  that  nothing  had  been  forgotten, 
for  she  was  not  going  back  to  Beech  Hill.  She 
was  sailing  very  fast,  and  seemed  to  be  shaken  by 
the  effort  of  her  engine.  They  were  certainly 
driving  her  at  a  very  unusual  speed. 

Tom  Topover  was  walking  about  the  point,  ap 
parently  engaged  in  a  very  minute  inspection  of 
the  locality.  Paul  saw  him  looking  at  the  former 
site  of  the  cottage,  and  then  he  disappeared  in  the 
woods.  The  owner  of  the  Dragon  drew  his  boat 
a  little  farther  up  on  the  beach,  but  he  con 
tinued  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  steamer ; 
and  he  was  so  absorbed  in  the  effort  to  fathom  her 
strange  behavior  that  he  was  in  danger  of  again 
forgetting  the  treasure  in  the  tin  box. 


232  STEM   TO   STERX; 

From  his  position  on  the  point  Paul  could  see 
•the  steamboat  wharf  at  Westport,  or,  rather,  he 
could  see  where  it  was,  for  it  was  over  two  miles 
distant.  But  the  steam  yacht  did  not  go  to  it ;  and 
for  a  ,short  time  she  disappeared  from  his  view 
behind  the  trees  on  the  lower  arm  of  the  point. 
But  he  knew  she  must  come  in  sight  again  soon, 
for  there  was  no  landing-place  above  the  wharf, 
and  the  water  was  shoal. 

In  a  few  minutes  she  did  reappear,  and  now  she 
was  close  inshore,  following  the  southern  trend  of 
the  bay.  She  had  reduced  her  speed  somewhat,  but 
she  was  still  sailing  faster  than  her  standard  rate. 
Paul  watched  her  till  she  reached  Barber's  Point, 
behind  which  she  again  went  out  of  sight.  He 
could  make  nothing  of  her  erratic  movements,  and 
he  was  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  Tom  was 
right,  and  that  the  follows  were  taking  a  little 
turn  in  her  while  waiting  for  the  cargo  of  the 
gundnlow  to  be  discharged,  or  for  the  iron  shoe  for 
the  keel  of  the  Lily. 

By  this  time  Tom  Topover  appeared  to  have 
completed  his  survey  of  the  locality  of  the  cottage, 
and  joined  Paul  on  the  beach.  The  cunning  fellow 
seemed  to  be  somewhat  uneasy  and  excited,  though 
his  companion  was  too  much  absorbed  in  the  won 
der  of  the  steam  yacht  to  notice  it. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  283 

"  Co  you  about  ready  to  start  on  ?  "  asked  Tom, 
after  he  had  looked  about  him  for  a  few  minutes. 
"  I  guess  I  've  seen  the  whole  thing  now." 

"  I  can't  make  out  what  the  Sylph  is  doing," 
said  Paul,  still  perplexed  by  the  problem,  though 
there  was  n't  the  least  reason  why  he  should  bother 
his  head  at  all  about  her  strange  movements  ;  but, 
like  the  average  boy  of  intelligence,  he  desired  to 
know  what  everything  meant. 

"She's  only  cruising  about  for  the  fun  on't," 
grinned  Tom.  "I  guess  I  don't  want  to  stop  no 
longer." 

That  cunning  reprobate  had  arranged  his  plan 
of  operations.  In  the  darkness  of  the  woods  he 
had  examined  the  tarred  spun-yarn  which  filled 
one  of  his  trousers  pockets.  He  had  taken  it  from 
a  new  building  on  the  back  road,  where  it  had 
been  used  to  secure  bundles  of  laths.  He  had 
coiled  up  the  single  lengths  in  such  a  way  that 
they  would  be  ready  for  use  when  wanted.  With 
these  he  intended  to  bind  his  victim  hand  and  foot, 
and  then  tic  him  to  a  sapling,  which  he  had  se 
lected  for  the  purpose,  in  the  woods  back  of  the 
cottage  site,  where  the  prisoner  could  not  be  seen 
or  heard  from  the  lake. 

He  had  promised  to  row  the  Dragon  from  Sandy 


284  STEM  TO  STERN; 

Point  to  "Westport ;  and  it  was  with  a  purpose  that 
he  had  proposed  to  do  so.  Paul  was  to  sit  in  the 
stern,  and  would  have  to  get  into  the  boat  first. 
Torn  would  be  close  behind  him,  and  when  he 
took  the  first  step,  he  would  seize  him  by  the 
throat,  throw  him  down  on  the  beach,  and  lie  down 
on  him.  With  the  spun-yarn  in  his  pocket  he 
could  easily  secure  his  hands  behind  him.  He 
had  picked  up  a  stout  stick  in  the  woods,  which 
he  dropped  carelessly  on  the  shore,  where  it  would 
be  available  in  case  of  need. 

Tom  had  no  doubt  whatever  of  his  ability  to 
carry  out  this  nicely-arranged  programme.  Paul 
was  a  stout  fellow,  and  events  at  the  point  and 
elsewhere  proved  that  he  had  plenty  of  pluck,  and 
that  he  hit  hard.  But  if  he  took  him  behind, 
what  could  Paul  do?  What  could  any  fellow 
do,  under  such  unfavorable  circumstances?  The 
blunder  of  the  six  ruffians,  in  Tom's  estimation, 
was  in  attacking  him  in  front  instead  of  in  the 
rear. 

The  cunning  bruiser  was  ready  to  execute  the 
plan  his  busy  brain  had  contrived,  and  he  was  a 
little  nervous  and  uneasy,  as  before  noted.  He 
did  not  take  the  least  interest  in  the  movements 
of  the  steamer,  though  he  was  rather  pleased  to 


OR,   BUILDING   THE  BOAT.  285 

find  Paul  so  much  absorbed  in  anything  that  kept 
his  mind  occupied. 

"  You  git  in  fust,  as  I  'm  go  'n  to  row  the  rest  of 
the  way,"  said  Tom,  as  he  took  the  oars  from  the 
boat,  the  blades  of  which  were  projecting  over  the 
bow. 

"  I  am  not  quite  ready  to  go  yet ;  I  have  to  go 
over  after  something  I  left  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree," 
replied  Paul,  as  he  turned  away  from  the  boat. 

"  In  the  holler  of  a  tree  !  "  exclaimed  Tom. 

"  That 's  what  I  said,"  added  Paul.  "  It  is  a  tin 
box  containing  a  little  money  and  a  couple  of  gold 
rings.  It  won't  take  me  long  to  get  them." 

"  How  fur  off  is  it  ? "  asked  the  bruiser,  much 
interested  when  he  heard  there  was  money  in  the 
box,  for  he  was  sure  to  get  it. 

Paul  said  it  was  up  in  the  hollow,  and  started 
off. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

A    HARD    BATTLE    AT    SANDY    POINT. 

^PHE  brilliant  strategy  of  the  bruiser  was  not 
affected  by  the  visit  of  Paul  Bristol  to  the 
hollow  tree:  On  the  contrary,  it  improved  its 
prospects  of  success.  The  intimation  that  there 
was  even  a  little  money  in  the  tin  box  was  en 
couraging,  for  it  would  add  something  to  the  ten 
dollars  he  was  to  receive  on  account  of  his  blind 
bargain  with  Walk  Billcord. 

As  soon  as  Paul  disappeared  in  the  woods,  Tom 
took  the  boathook  from  the  Dragon,  the  oars  be 
ing  already  in  his  possession,  and  hastened  off  in 
the  direction  to  which  he  had  car-ried  his  previous 
survey  of  the  locality.  He  had  found  a  low  place 
beyond  the  site  of  the  cottage,  where  a  rotten  log 
lay  on  the  ground.  Beneath  this  decayed  wood 
he  deposited  the  oars  and  boathook.  Pulling  off 
enough  of  the  punky  wood  to  cover  the  articles, 
he  returned  to  the  boat  with  a  rapid  step. 

He  had  been  absent  but  a  few  minutes,  and 
286 


STEM   TO   STERN.  287 

Paul  had  not  yet  appeared  with  the  tin  box.  If  the 
cunning  strategist  had  been  asked  why  he  con 
cealed  the  oars  and  the  boathook,  very  likely  he 
would  have  replied  that  he  had  done  so  to  pre 
vent  the  possibility  of  an  escape  on  the  part  of  his 
victim.  But  Tom  was  a  cunning  fellow,  and  this 
was  by  no  means  his  object.  If  he  failed  to 
accomplish  his  purpose  in  the  first  onslaught, 
there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  he  would  have 
been  entirely  willing  that  his  intended  victim 
should  escape,  and  even  be  glad  to  have  him  do 
so,  even  if  he  had  been  left  to  find  his  way  on  foot 
from  the  point. 

The  three  implements  which  constituted  the  fur 
niture  of  the  Dragon  might  be  dangerous  weapons 
in  the  hands  of  a  resolute  fellow  like  Paul  Bristol. 
He  had  secured  a  club  for  himself,  and  picking 
it  up,  he  was  plying  it  as  a  cane  and  plaything,  in 
order  to  avert  any  suspicion  as  to  its  probable  use. 

Paul  soon  returned  with  the  tin  box  in  his  hand. 
It  was  an  old  mustard  can,  and  it  was  not  a  con 
venient  thing  to  have  in  his  pocket,  and  was  of  no 
value.  He  took  the  rings  and  money  from  it,  and 
put  them  into  his  pocket,  throwing  away  the  can. 

"  How  much  money  have  you  got,  Bristol 
Brick?"  asked  Tom,  with  his  usual  grin. 


288  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"Only  a  two-dollar  bill,  and  that  belongs  to  my 
mother,"  replied  Paul,  who  did  not  know  his  com 
panion,  and  would  not  have  been  afraid  of  losing 
the  money  if  he  had. 

"  Ain  't  you  goin'  to  spend  it  down  to  West- 
port,  and  treat  a  feller  that  helps  you  row  the 
bout?"  asked  Tom,  with  a  mighty  grin. 

"  Of  course  not ;  I  don't  spend  my  mother's 
money  for  anything,  without  her  orders  to  do  so," 
replied  Paul. 

"What  odds  does  it  make?" 

"  It  makes  a  good  deal  of  odds  to  me,  for  I 
don't  spend  what  don't  belong  to  me.  By  the  big 
wooden  spoon  !  There  comes  the  Sylph  again, 
and  without  the  gundalow  in  tow.  She  is  going 
as  though  she  were  running  a  race  too.  It  looks 
to  me  just  as  though  Captain  Dory  Dornwood  had 
gone  crazy,  and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  Captain 
Gildrock  hauled  him  over  the  coals  for  it." 

"Is  the  cap'n  aboard?"  inquired  Tom. 

"  No  ;  he  went  to  Burlington  this  morning  in  the 
cars." 

"  Then  he  won't  know  nothin'  about  it." 

"Some  one  will  be  sure  to  tell  him;  but  the 
officers  have  to  keep  a  log,  and  put  down  the 
speed  every  hour.  I  arn  afraid  Dory  will  catch 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  289 

it,  for  that  steamer  is  running  fifteen  knots  an 
hour.  They  say  she  can  do  it,  but  the  fellows 
are  not  allowed  to  do  more  than  twelve." 

"All  right;  but  I  guess  we  can  watch  her  from 
the  boat  just  as  well  as  we  can  here,"  suggested 
the  strategist,  placing  himself  close  behind  his 
victim,  and  bracing  up  for  the  effort  he  was  to 
make. 

"If  she  comes  near  us,  we  can  hail  her,  and  find 
out  what  she  is  doing,  for  I  should  like  to  know," 
added  Paul,  as  he  stepped  down  to  the  beach,  in 
the  direction  of  the  bow  of  the  boat ;  but  his  eyes 
were  fixed  all  the  time  on  the  steamer,  which  was 
certainly  going  like  the  Flying  Dutchman. 

"Jump  in,  Bristol  Brick,  and  I  will  take  the 
oars." 

Paul  had  reached  the  stem  of  the  Dragon  by 
this  time,  still  closely  observing  the  steamer.  He 
was  just  beginning  to  wonder  if  she  would  not 
blow  up  under  such  a  tremendous  pressure  of 
steam  as  she  appeared  to  have  on,  when  the  arms 
of  the  cunning  strategist  encircled  his  neck,  and 
his  right  knee  was  applied  to  the  small  of  his 
back.  He  had  raised  one  foot  to  step  into  the 
boat,  but  he  had  no  chance  to  bring  it  down,  for 
he  went  over  backwards  on  the  beach. 


290  STEM  TO  STERN; 

The  bruiser  had  the  club  in  his  hand  when  he 
passed  his  arm  around  the  neck  of  his  victim.  In 
the  suddenness  of  the  attack  Tom  Topover  had  it  all 
his  own  way,  as  he  had  intended  to  have  it.  As  he 
drew  his  prisoner  back,  he  threw  him  over  so  that 
he  fell  on  his  face,  and  Tom  came  down  on  top  of 
him.  He  hugged  him  with  all  his  might.  Drop 
ping  the  stick,  he  fixed  his  grip  on  the  throat  of 
Paul,  and  began  to  jam  down  upon  him  with  his 
knees. 

But  Paul  soon  came  to  a  realizing  sense  of  his 
situation,  and  he  was  not  at  all  inclined  to  submit 
to  the  sharp  discipline  of  his  companion.  He  be 
gan  to  struggle  with  all  the  energy  of  desperation. 
His  hands  were  at  liberty,  and,  reaching  down  with 
them,  he  succeeded  in  getting  hold  of  the  legs  of 
his  assailant.  He  immediately  put  a  stop  to  the 
action  of  the  assailant's  knees,  and  then,  with  a 
mighty  effort,  rolled  over  so  that  Tom  was  under 
him,  though  Paul  was  still  wrong  side  up. 

With  the  weight  of  his  victim  upon  him,  Tom 
could  no  longer  kick  or  use  his  knees,  and  Paul's 
hands  were  relieved  for  other  duty.  He  brought 
them  up  and  got  hold  of  Tom's  hair,  getting  two 
fistfuls  of  it,  for  the  bruiser  did  not  Avear  a  fighting 
cut  just  then.  He  pulled  with  all  his  strength,  in- 


OK,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  291 

creased  by  his  desperation.  At  the  same  time  the 
struggle  with  the  other  parts  of  the  body  con 
tinued,  Tom's  hair  was  coining  out  by  the  roots, 
and  the  intense  pain  caused  him  to  yield  a  little  of 
his  hold  at  the  prisoner's  neck. 

Paul  felt  his  advantage,  and,  seizing  the  hands  of 
his  foe,  dragged  them  from  his  throat.  This  enabled 
him  to  turn  over  in  part  so  that  he  could  use  his 
fists.  He  did  not  wait  for  any  preliminaries,  but 
rained  his  blows  upon  the  head  of  his  assailant  in 
the  agony  of  his  desperation.  Tom  could  no  more 
stand  this  treatment  than  he  could  have  endured 
the  pounding  of  a  trip-hammer.  He  begged  for 
mercy,  and  Paul  let  him  up. 

Neither  of  them  could  speak,  and  Tom's  dirty 
face  was  covered  with  blood.  Both  were  gasping 
for  breath,  and  an  involuntary  truce  prevailed. 
Paul  had  received  no  blows  in  the  face,  though  his 
throat  was  considerably  lacerated  by  the  nails  of 
his  cowardly  enemy.  Tom  was  now  in  a  position 
to  understand  the  reason  why  the  six  ruffians  had 
been  so  badly  used  before  they  succeeded  in 
making  a  prisoner  of  Paul.  It  seemed  to  make 
no  difference  in  the  end  whether  the  attack  was 
made  in  the  front  or  the  rear.  Possibly,  the  bril 
liant  strategist  was  willing  to  believe  that  he  had 


X292  STEM  TO  STERN; 

made  a  mistake  in  the  quality  and  quantity  of  his 
intended  victim. 

A  couple  of  minutes  were  enough  to  enable  the 
combatants  to  recover  their  breath.  Neither  of 
them  said  a  word,  but  Tom  suddenly  made  a 
spring  at  Paul,  this  time  with  clenched  fists.  But 
the  latter  had  been  looking  for  something  of  this 
kind,  and  he  easily  parried  the  blows  aimed  at  him, 
and  then  upset  the  bruiser  with  a  heavy  blow  be 
tween  the  eyes.  Paul  realized  that  he  could  do 
this  sort  of  thing  till  the  sun  went  down,  but  he 
was  tired  of  it. 

Tom  lay  still  for  a  minute  or  so  after  his  fall,  for 
his  ideas  were  doubtless  greatly  confused.  Paul 
looked  at  him ;  and  as  he  did  so  he  saw  one  of  the 
coils  of  rope-yarn  sticking  out  of  his  trousers 
pocket.  lie  seized  it  at  once,  and,  turning  his 
assailant  over,  tied  his  hands  behind  him,  and  then 
secured  his  arms  at  the  elbows.  As  Tom  came  to 
a  realizing  sense  of  his  defeat,  he  began  to  resist, 
but  the  bruiser  was  about  played  out,  and  Paul 
dragged  him  to  a  tree  and  made  him  fast. 

"You  don't  fight  fair,  Bristol  Brick,"  said  he, 
rather  feebly,  and  he  made  a  weak  attempt  to 
break  from  his  bonds 

"I  don't  mean  to  fight  fair  with  such  fellows  as 


OR,   BUILDING  THE  BOAT.  293 

you  are,"  replied  Paul,  looking  with  disgust  at  his 
prisoner.  "I  suppose  you  do,  though,  and  that 's 
the  reason  you  pitched  into  me  when  my  back  was 
turned.  You  may  call  it  fair  to  jump  on  a  fel 
low's  back  and  pull  him  down." 

"But  't  ain't  fair  for  you  to  tie  me  afore  we  have 
done,"  groaned  Tom.  "That's  mean,  and  Tom 
Topover  never  lets  up  on  a  feller  that  don't  fight 
fair." 

"Oh,  then,  you  are  Tom  Topover,  are  you?" 
exclaimed  Paul,  looking  over  his  victim  from  head 

O 

to  foot.  "Why  didn't  you  tell  me  who  you  were 
when  I  asked  you  ?  " 

"  I  was  afear  'd  you  'd  run  away  if  I  told  you 
who  I  was,"  answered  the  bruiser,  who  was  likely 
to  be  a  bully  to  the  end. 

"I  don't  believe  I  should  have  run  away,"  added 
Paul,  with  a  smile  on  his  face.  "1  don't  run  away 
from  such  carrion  as  you  are." 

"You  haven't  seen  the  end  of  this  thing  yet. 
I  can  lick  you  in  fair  fight  any  time,"  blustered 
Tom,  as  he  began  to  regain  his  strength. 

"Will  you  do  it  now  if  I  let  you  loose?"  de 
manded  Paul  sharply. 

"  I  don't  feel  very  well  to-day,"  replied  Tom, 
after  some  hesitation.  "  I  ain't  in  fightin'  trim  no- 


294  STEM  TO  STERN; 

how,  and  that 's  the  reason  I  got  the  worst  on't  so 
fur." 

"  Wluit  did  you  pitch  into  me  for  if  you  are  not 
in  good  condition?"  demanded  Paul,  who  was 
good-natured  enough  by  this  time  to  smile. 

"  I  did  n't  think  you  was  so  much  of  a  feller, 
and  I  had  to  do  what  I  did  to-day,"  muttered 
Tom. 

"Why  to-day?"  demanded  Paul. 

"Well,  I  agreed  to  do  it." 

"Whom  did  you  agree  with?"  continued  Paul, 
picking  up  the  stick  the  mighty  strategist  had 
brought  from  the  woods. 

"It  don't  make  no  difference,"  whined  Tom,  evi 
dently  startled  when  he  saw  the  weapon  in  the 
hand  of  his  conqueror. 

"  Yes,  it  does  make  all  the  difference  in  the 
world ;  and  if  you  don't  tell  me  in  two  seconds,  I 
will  take  it  out  of  your  hide  !  "  exclaimed  the  son 
of  toil,  demonstrating  violently  with  the  stick. 

"I  didn't  agree  to  do  it,  but  Walk  Billcord  was 
to  give  me  ten  dollars  for  the  job.  '  He  did  n't 
say  he  would,  but  we  understood  one  another," 
answered  Tom,  in  mortal  terror. 

"That's  all  I  want  to  know,"  added  Paul,  as  he 
walked  towards  the  boat. 


OK,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  295 

He  looked  into  the  Dragon,  but  did  not  see  the 
oars.  He  searched  all  about  the  beach  without  being 
able  to  find  them.  While  he  was  thus  engaged, 
the  steamer  came  within  a  few  feet  of  the  shore. 
He  concluded  that  the  absence  of  the  oars  was  a 
part  of  the  cunning  strategist's  plan  ;  and  he  was 
about  to  return  to  the  tree  where  Tom  was  tied, 
when  the  steamer  rang  one  bell,  followed  by  two. 
This  meant  stop  and  back  her. 

Paul  picked  up  the  stick  he  had  brought  to  the 
water  side,  and,  without  looking  particularly  at  the 
Sylph,  he  pushed  off  the  boat,  and  then  gave  it  a 
hard  shove  w7ith  the  short  pole.  The  impetus  car 
ried  the  Dragon  to  the  side  of  the  steam  yacht, 
and  he  sprang  on  board  of  her  with  the  painter  in 
his  hand. 


P 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  ENGINEER  OF  THE  UNDINE. 

AUL  BRISTOL  was  somewhat  excited  after 
his  tough  conflict  with  the  strategetical 
bruiser.  He  was  not  a  little  startled  to  find  that 
the  Billcords  were  still  trying  to  punish  him  for 
defending  his  sister  from  insult.  Captain  Gildrock 
was  his  friend  and  his  mother's  friend,  and  he  was 
unwilling  to  do  anything  more  with  the  pestilent 
bully  without  his  advice  and  direction.  He  was 
confident  that  the  exhibition  of  the  stout  stick 
would  induce  Tom  to  tell  him  where  the  oars 
were ;  but  as  the  steamer  was  close  to  the  shore, 
he  preferred  to  take  counsel  before  he  acted  any 
further. 

At  first  he  forgot  that  the  principal  was  not  on 
board  of  the  Sylph,  but  it  came  to  his  mind  before 
he  reached  the  bulwarks.  But  Dory  was  certainly 
on  board,  and  he  could  advise  and  assist  him. 
Passing  the  painter  over  a  stanchion,  he  leaped 
over  the  rail.  Then  it  struck  him  as  a  little 

296 


STEM   TO    STERN.  297 

strange  that  he  saw  none  of  the  large  ship's  com 
pany  that  had  manned  her  when  she  left  the 
wharf  in  Beech  water  that  morning. 

A  man  who  was  an  entire  stranger  to  him  stood 
on  the  forecastle,  but  not  a  single  Beech  Hi  1  lei- 
was  to  be  seen.  He  looked  up  at  the  windows  of 
the  pilot-house,  where  he  expected  to  see  the  face 
of  Oscar  Chester  and  the  second  pilot ;  but  another 
stranger  stood  at  the  wheel. 

"  Cast  off  that  boat !  "  called  the  man  at  the 
wheel  to  the  one  on  the  forecastle. 

Before  Paul  could  interfere  the  deck  hand  had 
detached  the  painter  from  the  stanchion  and 
dropped  it  into  the  water.  At  the  same  moment 
two  bells  rang,  and  the  steamer  backed  away  from 
the  point. 

"  What  did  you  do  that  for?  "  demanded  Paul  of 
the  deck  hand. 

"I  have  to  obey  my  orders,"  replied  the  man. 

The  son  of  toil  looked  at  him  and  wondered 
who  he  was,  for  he  had  never  seen  his  face  before. 
He  went  to  the  bow  and  saw  the  Dragon,  fifty  feet 
from  him  by  this  time,  and  the  steamer  still  back 
ing.  He  had  been  sure  of  obtaining  good  advice 
and  strong  support  from  his  friends  on  board,  but 
he  could  not  even  find  a  person  that  he  knew. 


298  STEM  TO  STERN; 

He  walked  aft,  and  looked  into  the  engine-room. 
There  was  a  man  there,  but  he  was  bending  over 
the  machinery,  and  he  did  not  see  his  face,  but  he 
appeared  to  be  a  stranger  like  all  the  others  he 
had  seen.  He  continued  his  walk  to  the  door  of 
the  after  cabin,  but  not  a  single  Beech  Hiller  could 
he  find.  It  looked  to  him  as  though,  if  the  thing 
had  been  possible,  the  Sylph  had  been  captured 
by  an  enemy,  who  were  ttyen  in  full  possession  of 
her.  • 

Paul  returned  to  the  forecastle,  and  again  looked 
up  at  the  windows  of  the  pilot-house.  The 
man  at  the  W7heel  appeared  to  be  talking  to 
some  person  or  persons  behind  him,  who  were 
not  in  sight.  At  this  moment  the  engine  stopped 
again,  and  the  steamer  was  at  rest  on  the  smooth 
water.  Paul  was  confident  that  the  persons  in 
the  pilot-house  had  seen  the  whole  or  a  portion 
of  the  hard  battle  at  Sandy  Point,  for  the  tree 
where  he  had  secured  Tom  Topover  was  in  plain 
sight  from  the  lake. 

The  deck  hand  seemed  to  take  no  notice  of  him, 
though  he  could  not  help  seeing  him,  and  ob 
serving  all  his  movements.  As  the  steamer 
had  stopped  her  propeller,  and  run  close  in  to 
the  shore,  she  must  be  there  for  a  purpose. 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  299 

The  lust  he  had  seen  of  her  before  the  bruiser 
opened  the  fight,  she  was  running  with  tremen 
dous  speed  down  the  lake.  After  that  she  slowed 
down,  and  headed  for  the  point,  for  he  had  ob 
tained  an  occasional  glimpse  of  her  even  in  the 
heat  of  the  struggle  with  the  strategist. 

"Is  Captain  Dory  Dornwood  on  board,  sir?" 
asked  Paul,  very  respectfully,  of  the  deck  hand, 
who  had  walked  forward  to  look  out. 

"  I  don't  know  him,"  replied  the  man  shortly, 
but  civilly  enough. 

"Are  none  of  the  Beech  Hill  fellows  on  board?" 

"I  don't  know  the  Beech  Hill  fellows,"  an 
swered  the  man. 

Paul  was  utterly  bewildered.  He  looked  up  at 
the  pilot-house  once  more  to  find  a  solution  of  the 
mystery  if  he  could.  The  stranger  still  stood  at 
the  wheel,  and  was  still  talking  with  some  one  not 
in  sight.  Just  then  it  occurred  to  Paul  that  there 
was  something  wanting  in  the  appearance  of  the 
pilot-house.  In  the  station  bill  he  belonged  on 
the  forecastle  of  the  Sylph,  and  was  more  familiar 
with  this  part  of  her  than  with  any  other.  He 
studied  the  situation  for  some  time  before  he  could 
determine  what  was  wanting  to  complete  the  usual 
appearance  of  the  steamer.  At  last  he  was  able 


300  STEM  TO  STERN; 

to  supply  the  deficiency.  On  the  front  and  on 
each  side  of  the  pilot  house  was  a  sign  on  Avhich 
was  painted  the  name  of  the  craft.  They  were 
not  there  ;  and  if  the  strangers  had  captured  the 
Sylph  they  had  removed  these  signs.  There  was 
nothing  in  sight  to  indicate  that  the  vessel  was  the 
Beech  Hill  steam  yacht. 

Paul  looked  around  him  on  the  forecastle,  and 
some  other  familiar  objects  were  missing.  Sud 
denly  it  flashed  into  his  mind  that  this  was  not  the 
Sylph  after  all ;  but  the  absurdity  of  his  making 
a  mistake  in  the  identity  of  the  steamer  which  he 
was  accustomed  to  see  at  the  wharf  in  Beechwater 
every  day,  and  in  which  he  had  made  so  many 
trips  to  Westport  and  elsewhere,  was  so  apparent 
to  him  that  he  instantly  rejected  the  idea. 

To  his  mind,  in  spite  of  the  absence  of  the 
signs  on  the  pilot-house,  and  other  familiar  ob 
jects,  the  steamer  was  the  Sylph.  The  mystery 
of  her  being  in  possession  of  other  persons  than 
the  Beech  Killers  seemed  to  thicken  upon  him. 
She  had  taken  position  not  fifty  feet  from  the 
water  side,  and  there  she  lay.  Paul  wondered 
what  she  was  waiting  for,  and  why  she  did  not  do 
something.  If  any  person  on  board  was  to  be 
landed  at  the  point,  it  was  about  time  to  lower 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  301 

one  of  the  quarter  boats,  which  hung  on  davits 
abaft  the  engine.  But  nothing  was  done,  and  no 
one  said  anything ;  and  Paul  was  getting  des 
perate. 

There  was  a  mystery  about  the  steamer,  which, 
in  spite  of  the  good  order  which  prevailed  on 
board  of  her  when  her  regular  ship's  company 
were  on  duty,  presented  a  very  lively  aspect. 
Paul  was  not  patient  in  the  presence  of  mysteries 
which  concerned  him,  as  in  the  present  instance, 
for  since  the  setting  adrift  of  the  Dragon  lie  was 
practically  a  prisoner  on  board  of  her.  He  decided 
to  solve  the  problem  of  the  strangeness  of  things  on 
the  deck,  and  for  this  purpose  he  went  aft  to  the 
ladder  on  the  port  side  which  led  to  the  hurricane 
deck.  lie  was  determined  to  have  a  pow-wow  with 
the  pilot,  and  to  ascertain  who  were  the  modest 
persons  that  concealed  themselves  in  the  back  part 
of  his  quarters. 

He  reached  the  deck  on  which  the  pilot-house 
stood,  without  impediment,  and  walked  to  the 
door.  It  was  locked,  which  was  not  usual  on 
board  of  the  Sylph.  He  passed  on  to  the  side 
window,  where  the  man  at  the  wheel  suddenly 
confronted  him.  He  had  seen  this  man  before, 
but  he  had  no  acquaintance  with  him. 


302  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"  "Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  tell  me  what 
steamer  this  is?"  Puul  began,  in  his  efforts  to 
solve  the  mystery. 

"  The  Undine,  of  Westport,"  replied  the  pilot, 
for  such  he  undoubtedly  was. 

"I  never  heard  of  her  before,"  added  Paul, 
overwhelmed  to  find  that  she  was  not  the  Sylph. 

"  As  she  came  into  the  lake  for  the  first  time 
this  morning,  you  were  not  in  the  way  of  hearing 
of  her,"  answered  the  man,  rather  stiffly. 

"But  she  looks  exactly  like  the  Sylph,  which 
belongs  to  the  Beech  Hill  Industrial  School,"  said 
Paul,  trying  to  get  a  sight  of  the  persons  on  the 
sofa  of  the  room. 

But  the  pilot  kept  himself  directly  in  front  of 
him,  and  he  was  unable  to  gratify  his  curiosity. 

"  The  builder  has  sent  out  at  least  half  a  dozen 
steam  yachts  of  the  hundred-feet  order  which  are 
so  near  like  this  one  that  you  could  not  tell  the 
difference  in  them,"  added  the  pilot  in  answer  to 
his  remark. 

"  If  this  is  not  the  Sylph,  I  have  no  business  on 
board  of  her,"  continued  Paul.  "I  shall  be  very 
much  obliged  to  you  if  you  will  put  me  on  shore, 
or  pick  up  my  boat  for  me,  though  I  am  very 
sorry  to  trouble  you." 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  303 

"You  were  not  invited  on  board,  and  you  must 
look  out  for  yourself." 

"  Why  did  you  cast  off  the  painter  of  my  boat?  " 
asked  Paul,  not  pleased  with  the  situation. 

"  I  obey  my  orders." 

"Who  gave  the  order,  if  you  please?" 

"  The  owner,"  replied  the  pilot.  "  Something 
was  going  on  ashore  there  just  before  we  came 
over  here.  It  looked  like  a  very  hard  fight  be 
tween  two  fellows." 

"  It  was  a  hard  fight,"  answered  Paul. 

"And  you  were  one  of  the  fellows  in  it?  " 

"  I  was ;  and  the  other  fellow  is  tied  to  a  tree 
on  shore,"  replied  Paul,  pointing  in  the  direction 
of  the  tree,  which  he  could  see  from  his  position 
on  the  hurricane  deck. 

"  What  was  it  all  about  ?  Speak  up  a  little 
louder,  for  I  am  rather  deaf,"  added  the  pilot,  as 
he  glanced  behind  him.  "  Who  was  the  other  fel 
low?"  And  the  last  question  seemed  to  be 
prompted  by  the  person  on  the  sofa. 

"  It  was  Tom  Topover,"  answered  Paul ;  and  in 
answer  to  questions  put  by  the  pilot,  he  told  the 
whole  story  of  his  affair  that  day  with  the  bril 
liant  strategist,  from  the  time  he  had  appeared  in 
the  creek  on  his  queer-looking  craft. 


304  STEM  TO  STERN; 

The  pilot  occasionally  told  him  to  speak  louder, 
and  at  last  he  concluded  that  he  was  giving  the 
narrative  for  the  benefit  of  the  concealed  listeners. 

"But  what  made  Tom  Topover  attack  you?" 
asked  the  man  at  the  wheel. 

"  He  was  hired  to  do  it  by  Major  Billcord's  son, 
Walk  Billcord,"  replied  Paul  bluntly. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  my  son  hired  that 
rough  to  attack  you  ?  "  demanded  the  magnate  of 
Westport,  suddenly  rushing  to  the  door  of  the 
pilot-house,  and  throwing  it  wide  open.  Close  be 
hind  him  was  Walk  himself. 

"  I  did  n't  know  you  were  here ! "  exclaimed 
Paul,  starting  back  with  astonishment  when  he 
saw  the  major ;  and  he  had  not  had  the  remotest 
suspicion  that  he  was  the  owner  of  the  steam  yacht, 
for  the  pilot  had  prevented  him  from  asking  who 
owned  the  craft. 

"  No  matter  if  you  did  n't  know  it,"  replied  the 
major  angrily.  "I  asked  you  a  question.  An 
swer  it ! " 

"Tom  Topover  said  he  was  to  get  ten  dollars  from 
your  son  for  doing  the  job.  He  did  n't  say  Mr. 
Walker  agreed  to  give  him  the  money,  but  there 
•was  an  understanding  between  them  to  this  effect," 
replied  Paul. 


OK,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  305 

"  Tom  Topover  is  a  liar  !  "  exclaimed  Walk. 

"  He  was  to  do  the  job  to-day  ;  and  you  seem 
to  be  here  at  Sandy  Point  to  attend  to  the  prisoner 
if  Tom  got  him,"  added  Paul. 

Major  Billcord  was  not  in  the  habit  of  control 
ling  his  wrath,  and  he  made  a  spring  at  the  son  of 
toil ;  but  Paul  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  for  he  dreaded 
another  encounter  with  the  magnate.  He  went 
aft  and  descended  to  the  main  deck ;  but  he  soon 
discovered  that  he  was  not  pursued.  He  heard 
two  bells  in  the  engine-room,  and  the  Undine  be 
gan  to  back.  Paul  came  to  a  halt  under  the  star 
board  quarter  boat,  and  devoted  himself  to  an  ex 
amination  of  the  falls  by  which  it  was  secured  to 
the  davits. 

While  he  was  thus  engaged,  one  bell  struck 
in  the  engine-room,  followed  by  another,  and  the 
Undine  went  ahead.  A  moment  later  the  jingle 
bell  rattled,  and  the  craft  began  to  go  at  full 
speed.  Paul  heard  steps  on  the  hurricane  deck 
above  him,  and  he  concluded  that  the  major  and 
Walk  were  after  him.  He  walked  astern  to  the 
doors  of  the  main  cabin.  They  were  open,  and 
he  decided  to  retreat  into  this  apartment  if  he  was 
pursued. 

"  Engineer  !  "  called  Major  Billcord. 


306  STEM  TO  STERN; 

"  On  deck,  sir,"  replied  the  man  in  charge  of 
the  engine,  as  he  stepped  out  of  his  room. 

The  sound  of  the  engineer's  voice  was  a  familiar 
one,  and  it  startled  the  son  of  toil  as  much  as  the 
sound  of  an  earthquake  would  at  that  moment. 

"  Keep  an  eye  on  that  boy  down  on  the  main 
deck,  and  don't  let  him  touch  the  boats,"  contin 
ued  Major  Billcord,  who  suspected  the  purpose  of 
the  object  of  his  hatred.  "  Don't  let  him  escape  on 
any  account,  for  I  shall  have  a  reckoning  with  him 
before  we  part." 

This  looked  like  a  threat,  and  Paul  realized  that 
he  was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  In  spite  of  his 
imprisonment,  the  magnate  intended  to  punish  him 
for  what  he  had  done  at  the  point,  and  the  poor 
fellow  began  to  be  very  much  discouraged. 

"  I  will  see  to  him,"  replied  the  engineer. 

The  engine  of  the  Undine  was  working  at  a 
moderate  speed,  and  the  engineer  walked  aft  to 
get  a  view  of  his  prisoner.  Paul  looked  at  him  as 
he  approached,  for  the  sound  of  his  voice  had  pre 
pared  him  for  an  early  meeting.  lie  thought  no 
more  of  getting  away  in  the  boat.  He  gazed  with 
all  his  eyes  at  the  man  walking  towards  him. 

"  Why,  father ! "  exclaimed  he,  rushing  upon 
him  with  extended  hand. 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT. 

"Why,  Paul,  my  son  !  Is  it  possible  that  it  is 
you?"  cried  the  engineer,  grasping  the  extended 
hand.  "But  come  into  the  engine-room." 

Mr.  Bristol  led  the  way,  still  holding  his  son's 
hand.  They  had  scarcely  entered  the  apartment 
before  there  was  a  whistle  at  the  speaking-tube. 

"  Take  that  boy  into  the  engine-room,  and  don't 
let  him  get  away,"  said  the  magnate  through  the 
tube. 

"  All  right ;  I  have  him  here,"  replied  the 
engineer.  "What  does  all  this  mean,  Paul?" 
asked  the  astonished  father,  turning  to  his  son. 

Paul  related  all  the  events  in  the  family  history 
since  the  assault  upon  Lily  at  the  point ;  and  the 
returned  wanderer  fully  understood  the  feud  be 
tween  Paul  and  the  magnate.  His  blood  boiled 
at  the  insult  to  his  daughter,  and  the  persecution 
to  which  his  son  had  been  subjected.  He  had  put 
his  hand  on  the  wheel  to  shut  oft'  the  steam,  when 
Paul  asked  him  where  he  had  been  for  two  years, 
and  why  he  had  not  written  to  his  family. 

The  engineer  did  not  turn  the  wheel,  for  the 
wanting  letters  were  an  imputation  upon  him. 
He  was  not  a  scholar,  but  he  had  written  a  score 
of  letters  and  had  never  had  a  reply  to  one  of 
them.  Before  he  left,  something  had  been  said 


308  STEM    TO    STERN  ; 

between  himself  and  his  wife  about  her  going  to 
the  home  of  an  uncle  in  Iowa.  He  had  invited 
them  to  visit  him  and  take  care  of  him,  for  he 
•was, a  bachelor.  He  Avould  support  them,  and 
they  could  do  work  enough  to  earn  their  living. 
They  had  expected  to  hear  from  him  every  day  at 
the  time  Peter  Bristol  left  home. 

The  father  had  no  doubt  they  Avould  go  there, 
and  had  directed  his  letters  after  the  first  one  to 
their  new  home.  A  few  days  after  his  departure 
for  New  York,  where  he  hoped  to  find  work,  the 
letter  came  from  the  West  to  Mrs.  Bristol,  but  it 
brought  no  hope.  The  writer  had  bought  a  ranch 
in  Texas,  had  married,  and  could  do  nothing  for 
the  family  of  his  brother.  This  clearly  explained 
the  miscarriage  of  the  letters. 

Peter  Bristol  had  worked  as  a  fireman  on  a  rail 
road.  When  he  got  to  New  York  he  found  a 
situation  as  an  oiler  on  a  steamer  bound  to  Havana. 
In  Cuba  he  soon  secured  a  good  situation  to  run 
an  engine  on  a  plantation.  He  saved  his  money, 
and  did  his  best  to  find  what  had  become  of  his 
family.  At  last  it  occurred  to  him  to  write  to  the 
postmaster  of  his  brother's  late  residence  in  Iowa. 
Nothing  was  known  of  his  family,  his  brother  had 
gone  to  Texas,  and  a  score  of  letters  for  his  wife 
had  gone  to  the  dead-letter  office. 


OR,    BUILDING   THE    BOAT.  309 

Then  he  had  written  to  a  friend  in  "West port, 
and  learned  that  his  family  were  still  at  Sandy 
Point,  and  were  very  poor.  When  this  last  letter 
came,  nearly  two  years  after  he  had  left  home,  he 
was  tilled  with  sorrow  and  anxiety.  He  wrote  no 
more  letters,  but  started  for  home  with  all  the 
money  he  had  saved.  About  the  first  person  he 
met  when  he  landed  in  New  York  was  Wheeler, 
whom  he  had  known  as  a  pilot  on  Lake  Champlain. 
He  had  been  sent  by  Major  Billcord  to  take  his 
steamer,  just  purchased,  up  to  the  lake  by  the  way 
of  the  Hudson  and  the  canal.  He  wanted  an 
engineer,  and,  after  a  deal  of  talk,  employed  Peter 
Bristol. 

Wheeler  had  his  doubts  about  the  competency 
of  Bristol.  The  magnate  wanted  a  suitable  en 
gineer,  and  would  give  him  good  wages.  He 
might  object  to  a  man  who  had  been  known  on  the 
lake  as  nothing  but  a  boatman.  Peter  wanted  the 
place,  and  had  been  running  an  engine  for  two 
years.  Wheeler  agreed  to  do  what  he  could  for 
him  with  the  magnate ;  but  he  thought  it  best  for 
him  not  to  say  who  he  was  for  the  present.  Time 
and  the  tropical  sun  had  so  changed  him  that  he 
was  not  likely  to  recognize  him  if  he  was  care 
ful. 


310  STEM:   TO    STERN; 

Peter  Bristol  had  served  us  engineer  on  the  way 
up,  and  Major  Billcord  and  Walk  had  joined  the 
vessel  at  Whitehall  in  the  morning.  The  steamer 
•was  on  trial,  and  the  major  wanted  her  run  at  her 
highest  speed  a  part  of  the  time.  The  magnate 
had  hardly  looked  at  the  engineer,  he  was  so  inter 
ested  in  the  machinery  and  the  craft,  and  Bristol 
had  had  no  trouble  in  concealing  his  identity  so 
far.  This  was  the  story  he  told  Paul,  and  repeated 
to  his  wife  and  Lily  in  the  evening. 

Paul  had  looked  out  at  the  door  and  saw  that  the 
Undine  was  near  Westport.  She  did  not  go  to  the 
shore,  but  when  she  came  about  and  headed  down 
the  lake  again,  Peter  Bristol  turned  the  wheel  and 
shut  off  the  steam.  There  was  a  ringing  of  the 
bell,  and  then  a  call  through  the  tube. 

"  I  shall  run  her  no  longer !  "  replied  the  en 
gineer,  emphatically,  at  the  mouthpiece. 

Major  Billcord  came  below,  followed  by  Walk. 
Mr.  Bristol  stated  his  position,  and  took  no  further 
pains  to  conceal  his  identity.  The  father  spoke  to 
him  like  a  man,  and  insisted  upon  being  landed  at 
Westport  with  his  son.  The  magnate  was  taken 
all  aback.  He  could  do  nothing  without  an  en 
gineer,  and  he  could  not  punish  Paul  in  the  pres 
ence  of  his  father.  The  engineer  Avould  take  the 


OR,    BUILDING    THE    BOAT.  311 

steamer  up  to  the  wharf,  but  in  no  other  direction. 
The  magnate  had  to  yield,  and  father  and  son, 
both  the  Bristol  and  the  Billcord,  landed. 

Lily  was  found,  and  she  had  a  joyful  meeting 
with  her  father.  Bissell  was  very  willing  to  loan 
his  four-oar  boat  to  convey  them  to  Beech  Hill. 
On  the  way  they  released  Tom  Topover,  and,  put 
ting  him  into  the  Dragon,  towed  him  back  to  Hor 
net  Point.  The  happy  re-union  in  the  transplanted 
cottage  need  not  be  described. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

LAUNCHING    THE    BOAT. 

r  I  ^HE  Sylph,  with  the  gundalow,  did  not  arrive 
till  it  was  nearly  dark.  The  shoe  was  not 
done  when  the  scow  was  ready  to  take  it  on  board, 
and  they  had  to  wait  for  the  workmen  to  drill 
the  holes  for  the  bolts.  The  ship's  company  had 
seen  the  Undine  when  she  passed  Port  Henry,  but 
no  one  there  knew  to  whom  she  belonged,  or  any 
thing  whatever  in  regard  to  her.  They  saw  that 
she  was  the  counterpart  of  the  Sylph,  and  knew 
that  she  was  one  of  the  celebrated  class  to  which 
she  belonged. 

Some  of  the  students  thought  there  might  be  a 
chance  for  a  race  between  her  and  the  Beech  Hill 
steamer ;  but  Dory  was  sure  enough  that  Captain 
Gildrock  would  not  permit  the  Sylph  to  race  with 
anything  that  went  by  steam. 

The  principal  had  returned  from  Burlington  in 
the  afternoon,  and  when  he  saw  the  four-oar  boat, 
with  the  Dragon  in  tow,  moving  up  to  Hornet 

312 


STEM   TO   STERN.  313 

Point,  he  walked  over  to  the  cottage.  He  was 
a  spectator  of  the  affecting  interview  between 
Mrs.  Bristol  and  her  husband,  even  before  the 
Dragon  was  hauled  up  to  the  shore. 

Tom  Topover  was  very  much  battered  in  the 
conflict  with  Paul.  He  was  sure  of  two  very 
black  eyes,  and  he  could  hardly  walk  when  he  was 
helped  out  of  the  flatboat.  The  principal  thought 
he  had  been  punished  enough  for  the  present ;  and 
as  he  seemed  to  be  very  humble,  for  him,  he  was 
allowed  to  limp  home,  after  a  strong  admonition 
from  the  captain. 

The  principal  had  been  so  good  a  friend  to  the 
family,  that  Mrs.  Bristol  begged  him  to  stay  and 
hear  her  husband's  story,  and  listen  to  the  adven 
tures  of  Paul  since  he  left  in  the  afternoon.  The 
moving  of  the  cottage  had  to  be  related  by  Paul. 
The  prolonged  corversation  was  interrupted  only 
by  the  arrival  of  the  Sylph.  After  the  shoe  was 
landed  at  the  boat-shed,  and  the  gundalow  towed 
to  the  stone  quarry,  the  students  learned  all  about 
the  new  steamer,  in  which  they  were  very  much 
interested,  though  they  were  sorry  to  learn  that 
Major  Billcord  was  her  owner. 

On  Monday  afternoon,  the  shoe  was  bolted  to 
the  keel  of  the  Lily,  and  the  inside  work,  which 


314  STEM  TO   STERN; 

had  been  left  unfinished  for  this  job,  was  com 
pleted.  The  following  Saturday  was  appointed 
for  the  launch  of  the  boat,  for  this  day  would 
complete  the  school  year  of  the  institution.  Invi 
tations  had  been  sent  to  the  gentlemen  who  had 
served  as  examiners  the  preceding  year,  and  on 
Friday  afternoon  the  Sylph,  fully  manned,  and 
dressed  in  gay  colors,  brought  up  Mi\  Bridges,  Mr. 
Kitchie,  and  Mr.  Flint.  They  were  hospitably 
entertained  at  the  mansion. 

In  the  forenoon  a  sort  of  public  exhibition  took 
place  in  the  great  hall  of  the  boat-house,  which 
delighted  the  spectators,  and  gave  them  a  very 
high  idea  of  the  progress  of  the  students  in  the 
mechanic  arts,  as  well  as  in  the  book  studies. 
After  this  show,  the  visitors  went  through  the 
shops,  and  inspected  the  Lily  as  she  stood  on  the 
stocks.  A  brass  band  played  a  portion  of  the 
time,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  day  a  choice  colla 
tion  was  served  on  the  green. 

About  all  the  young  ladies  in  Genverres,  and 
not  a  few  from  Burlington  and  Westport,  \vere 
present.  Possibly  there  was  some  heavy  flirting 
done,  for  again  the  students  in  their  uniform  were 
lions  of  the  first  order. 

But  the  great  event  of  the  day  was  to  be  the 


OR,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  315 

launch  of  the  Lily.  She  had  been  fully  prepared 
in  the  morning  for  the  exciting  occasion,  and  two 
jury-masts  had  been  put  up  on  board,  and  she  was 
covered  with  flags  and  streamers.  The  boat  was 
to  move  from  the  ways  at  four,  and  an  hour  before 
that  time  the  students  and  the  principal  were  not 
a  little  astonished  to  see  the  two  Chesterfield 
barges  pull  into  the  Beechwater,  and  take  positions 
near  the  farther  side  of  the  lake. 

Captain  Gildrock  sent  Mr.  Bentnick,  the  prin 
cipal  instructor,  to  invite  them  on  shore  to  par 
take  of  a  collation.  Colonel  Buckmill  sat  in  the 
stern-sheets  of  the  Dasher,  but  he  politely  de 
clined  the  invitation,  with  profuse  thanks.  His 
young  gentlemen  desired  to  see  the  launch,  but  he 
would  not  give  the  principal  any  trouble  on  such  a 
busy  day. 

The  captain  Avas  sorry  for  this  refusal,  but  he 
seemed  to  insist  that  the  hospitality  of  Beech  Hill 
should  not  suffer  in  the  estimation  of  the  students 
from  the  other  side,  and  he  sent  a  boat  loaded 
with  ice-cream,  cake,  and  lemonade  to  the  un 
wonted  visitors,  which  were  accepted  with  more 
thanks. 

At  a  few  minutes  before  four,  the  principal  and 
a  small  party,  including  not  more  than  half  a  dozen 


316  STEM  TO  STERN; 

of  the  students,  went  on  board  of  the  Lily.  A 
little  later,  the  gallant  captain  of  the  Sylph  es 
corted  Miss  Lily  Bristol  to  the  deck  of  the  boat. 
Her  appearance  was  the  occasion  of  the  most  tre 
mendous  applause  on  the  part  of  the  students  and 
the  crowd  assembled  on  shore.  It  was  observed 
that  the  Chesterfields  joined  in  this  demonstra 
tion,  with  a  vigor  which  astonished  their  former 
foes. 

Captain.  Gildrock  gave  certain  orders,  which 
were  followed  by  the  sound  of  hammers  as  the 
hands  knocked  away  the  wedges.  The  principal 
raised  his  hand,  which  was  'followed  by  one  dis 
charge  of  a  cannon.  At  this  instant  the  hull  began 
to  move  very  slowly.  Assisted  by  Captain  Dorn- 
wood,  Lily  Bristol  ascended  to  the  heel  of  the 
bowsprit  with  a  bottle  in  her  hand. 

What  this  bottle  contained  no  one  but  the  cap 
tain  knew.  According  to  tradition  and  custom,  it 
ought  to  be  filled  with  wine  ;  but  the  principal  was 
a  very  strong,  practical  temperance  man.  How 
ever,  as  the  contents  of  the  bottle  were  to  be 
dashed  into  the  lake,  it  did  not  much  matter  what 
they  were. 

The  velocity  of  the  moving  hull  increased  as  she 
descended  the  inclined  plane ;  and  as  soon  as  she 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  317 

was  under  full  headwaj-,  Lily  broke  the  bottle 
over  the  bow  of  the  schooner. 

"I  give  to  this  vessel  the  name  of  Lily,  and 
may  she  be  prosperous  on  the  element  to  which 
she  belongs,"  said  she. 

Then  the  band  struck  up  ff  Hail  to  the  Chief," 
and  all  the  students  and  everybody  else  yelled 
and  applauded  with  all  their  might.  The  ladies 
waved  their  handkerchiefs,  and  a  salvo  of  artil 
lery  followed.  The  Lily  struck  the  water,  and 
ploughed  her  way  nearly  to  the  other  side  of  the 
lake,  where  she  was  brought  up  by  the  lines  at 
tached  to  her.  She  rested  on  the  water  as  grace 
fully  as  a  swan,  and  as  soon  as  she  was  fairly 
afloat,  another  series  of  ringing  cheers  saluted 
her. 

The  Sylph,  under  the  charge  of  the  first  officer, 
immediately  fastened  to  her,  and  she  was  towed 
to  her  berth  at  the  wharf,  where  she  was  to  re 
main  until  the  next  school  year  began,  in  Septem 
ber.  But  the  visitors  were  eager  to  examine  her, 
and  an  arrangement  was  made  by  which  all  who 
desired  could  pass  on  board,  make  the  circuit  of 
her  deck  and  then  leave  without  causing  an  uncom 
fortable  crowd.  Through  the  cabin  doors  and  the 
opening  for  the  skylight  they  could  see  something 


318  STEM  TO  STERN; 

of  the  cabin,  while  the  fore-scuttle  gave  a  partial 
view  of  the  cook-room. 

The  young  officers  and  crew  of  the  Sylph  told 
their  friends  they  should  see  her  after  she  was 
rigged,  her  sails  bent  on,  and  the  cabin  and  cook- 
room  were  furnished.  There  could  be  no  doubt, 
so  far  as  the  students  were  concerned,  that  the 
young  ladies  who  gushed  so-  prettily  over  the  craft 
would  be  invited  to  sail  in  her. 

"With  this  great  event  ended  the  second  school 
year  of  the  Beech  Hill  Industrial  School.  The 
students  were  certainly  satisfied  with  the  experi 
ence  they  had  had  there,  and,  notwithstanding  the 
sharpness  of  the  discipline,  they  had  only  pleas 
ant  memories  of  the  past.  Those  who  had  been 
there  two  years  were  w-ell  prepared  to  earn  their 
own  living.  Though  none  of  the  machinists  or 
carpenters  could  be  called  finished  workmen,  they 
were  skilled  enough  to  obtain  moderate  wages. 
It  would  require  more  years  of  study  and  practice 
to  make  them  into  first-class  mechanics. 

None  of  them  had  yet  completed  the  course  of 
instruction,  though  the  needs  of  their  parents  com 
pelled  seven  of  them  to  leave  the  school  and  assist 
in  supporting  families.  By  this  time  the  reputa 
tion  of  the  school  had  been  established,  and  there 


OR,   BUILDING  THE   BOAT.  319 

were  applications  for  three  times  as  many  young 
men  to  work  as  engineers,  carpenters,  and  machin 
ists.  Good  places  were  secured  for  those  who 
were  obliged  to  leave. 

Three  of  them  were  to  run  stationary  engines, 
one  was  to  work  as  a  carpenter,  and  three  more 
were  to  learn  trades  for  which  their  education  had 
fitted  them  to  a  considerable  degree.  The  prin 
cipal  had  given  them  a  lecture  on  the  subject  of 
wages,  in  which  he  bluntly  told  them  that  they 
could  not  expect  full  wages,  for  they  were  not 
competent  to  earn  them.  They  were  not  yet 
physically  able  to  do  the  work  of  a  man,  and  they 
were  not  competent  to  do  all  that  would  be  re 
quired  of  them  in  their  several  trades  and  callings. 
They  had  learned  a  great  deal,  and  had  acquired 
considerable  dexterity  ;  but  if  they  were  judged  by 
what  they  did  not  know,  they  would  stand  as  weak 
vessels.  No  man  ever  learned  out  in  his  trade, 
and  the  time  never  came  when  there  was  nothing 
more  to  learn. 

A  certain  very  wise  man,  as  men  are  measured, 
declared  that  he  had  only  learned  enough  to  re 
alize  what  a  fool  he  was.  The  principal  told  the 
graduates  that  one  of  their  greatest  perils  was  that 
of  knowing  too  much.  Modesty  in  regard  to 


320  STEM  TO  STERN; 

the  measurement  of  their  own  skill  and  knowl 
edge  was  essential  to  them.  It  was  better  that 
others  should  find  out  how  much  they  knew  rather 
than  themselves. 

On  Monday  morning  the  Sylph  Avent  up  the 
lake  with  the  examiners  and  others  who  were  to 
spend  their  vacations  at  home.  In  the  afternoon 
she  went  down  the  lake  with  those  who  were  go 
ing  in  that  direction,  and  the  ship's  company  was 
considerably  smaller  when  the  steamer  returned  to 
Beech  Hill. 

Mr.  Bristol  went  on  the  afternoon  trip,  for  Corny 
Minkfield  and  John  Brattle,  the  engineers,  were 
to  be  left  at  Burlington.  Mr.  Jepson  was  pri 
vately  instructed  by  the  principal  to  test  his  quali 
fications.  It  appeared  that  while  he  had  but 
little  scientific  knowledge,  he  was  as  competent  to 
run  an  engine  as  the  majority  of  those  who  were 
employed  in  this  capacity. 

"I  confess,  Mr.  Bristol,  that  I  am  very  much 
interested  in  your  family,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to 
retain  you  at  the  school,"  said  Captain  Gildrock. 
"  I  find  that  Mr.  Jepson's  duty  in  connection  with 
the  running  of  the  engines  in  the  shops  interferes 
with  his  usefulness  as  an  instructor.  I  shall  re 
lieve  him  entirely  of  the  laborious  task  he  has 


OR,    BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  321 

hitherto  performed  in  the  most  faithful  manner, 
for  he  is  too  valuable  as  a  teacher  to  have  any  of 
his  time  wasted.  I  shall  appoint  you  as  engineer 
of  the  shops,  though  you  are  to  serve  in  the 
steamer  when  required." 

"I  thank  you,  sir,  with  all  my  heart,"  replied 
Mr.  Bristol.  "You  have  done  so  much  for  my 
family,  that  I  already  owe  you  a  debt  of  gratitude 
I  could  never  repay." 

"  What  I  have  done  has  afforded  me  as  much 
pleasure  as  it  has  the  members  of  the  family," 
added  the  principal. 

"The  moving  of  the  cottage  was  the  greatest 
and  the  most  timely  thing  that  ever  was  done. 
But,  Captain  Gildrock,  I  saved  considerable  money, 
for  a  poor  man,  and  I  should  like  to  buy  a  lot  of 
land  for  my  wife's  cottage,  and  put  a  cellar  under 
it." 

"  How  do  you  like  its  present  location?  "  asked 
the  captain. 

"  Paradise  has  no  finer  spot,  sir." 

"  Then  I  will  give  you  a  deed  of  the  lot  on  which 
the  house  stands,  without  any  money,  for  it  will  be 
a  great  protection  to  my  estate  to  have  your  fam 
ily  in  just  that  locality." 

Mr.  Bristol  was  overwhelmed  at  this  generous 


322  STEM   TO   STERN; 

offer,  and  he  accepted  it  with  a  heart  full  of  grati 
tude.  During  the  vacation  the  house  was  raised 
somewhat  and  a  cellar  put  under  it.  The  Topovers, 
who  had  troubled  the  captain  for  years  by  their 
incursions,  ceased  to  come  in  by  the  road  to  the 
stone-quarries. 

Though  it  was  vacation  at  Beech  Hill,  and  only 
a  very  few  of  the  boys,  who  had  no  homes,  remained 
during  the  summer  months,  there  were  some  lively 
times  there.  The  instructors  were  all  <rone,  but 

O  " 

plenty  of  company  came  from  the  cities.  Almost 
every  day  there  was  some  kind  of  an  excursion, 
and  Mr.  Bristol  was  available  as  engineer,  so  that 

o  * 

the  Sylph  Was  constantly  in  use. 

Captain  Gildrock  had  another  idea  come  into  his 
fertile  brain.  The  Lily  was  so  great  a  success  that 
he  decided  to  build  a  steam  yacht  about  half  the 
length  of  the  Sylph,  and  to  have  the  engine  con 
structed  in  the  shops  by  the  students.  He  found 
they  enjoyed  their  work  more  when  they  were 
doing  something  which  they  could  use  when  it 
was  completed.  However,  he  did  not  say  much 
about  it. 

Dory  Dornwood,  though  his  uncle  suggested  a 
trip  to  New  York,  Niagara,  or  Montreal,  found 
more  pleasure  in  staying  at  home,  strange  as  it 


OK,   BUILDING   THE   BOAT.  323 

may  seem.  Paul  made  himself  useful  as  fireman 
or  deck  hand  on  board  of  the  steam  yacht,  or  as  a 
foremast  hand  in  the  Goldwing.  Mrs.  Bristol  and 
Lily  were  almost  always  passengers  when  either 
craft  made  an  excursion,  and  so  were  Mrs.  Dorn- 
wood  and  Marian. 

The  young  captain  of  the  Sylph  spent  a  good 
deal  of  time  at  the  cottage  on  Hornet  Point,  pos 
sibly  because  he  had  conducted  the  enterprise  of 
transporting  the  structure  from  Sandy  Point  to  its 
present  locality.  The  captain  and  Dory's  mother 
laughed  a  great  deal  about  his  constant  visits,  but 
as  he  never  called  the  young  lady  anything  but 
"Miss  Bristol,"  the  visits  were  not  regarded  as 
dangerous  for  the  present. 

Major  Billcord  and  Walk  sailed  the  Undine  all 
over  the  lake,  but  she  was  apt  to  give  the  Sylph 
a  wide  berth.  The  testimony  of  Tom  Topover 
was  not  considered  sufficient  to  convict  Walk  of 
bribing  him  to  capture  Paul.  Certainly,  Tom  got 
the  worst  of  it,  and  the  magnate  was  content  to  let 
the  punishment  of  the  son  of  toil  go  by  default. 

The  third  school  year  opened  as  prosperously  as 
either  of  its  predecessors,  and  the  next  volume  of 
the  series  will  doubtless  contain  as  many  of  the 
adventures  of  the  students  on  the  lake  and  else- 


324  STEM   TO    STERN. 

where  as  the  former  ones,  as  well  as  complete  the 
unfinished  work  on  the  Lily  ;  and,  of  course,  the 
reader  will  find  ever3Tthing  "  All  Taut "  about 
the  schooner  after  they  have  finished  "  Rigging 
the  Boat." 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


ARMY  AND  NAVY  STORIES, 

Six  Volumes.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.5O. 


1.  THE  SOLDIER  BOY; 

Or,  Tom  Somers  in  the  Army. 

2.  THE  SAILOR  BOY; 

Or,  Jack  Somers  in  the  Navy. 

3.  THE  YOUNG  LIEUTENANT; 

Or,  Adventures  of  an  Army  Officer. 

4.  THE  YANKEE  MIDDY; 

Or,  Adventures  of  a  Navy  Officer. 

5.  FIGHTING  JOE; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Staff  Offiaer. 

6.  BRAVE  OLD  SALT; 

Or,  Life  on  the  Qnarter-Deck. 


This  series  of  six  volumes  recounts  the  adventuroi1  of*  I  TO 
brothers,  Tom  and  Jack  Somers,  one  in  the  arm}r,  the  othei  in 
the  navy,  in  the  great  civil  war.  The  romantic  narratives  '>f 
the  fortunes  and  exploits  of  the  brothers  are  thrilling  in  t"  e 
extreme.  Historical  accuracy  in  the  recital  of  the  gre\t 
events  of  that  period  is  strictly  followed,  and  the  result  is 
not  only  a  library  of  entertaining  volumes,  but  also  the 
history  of  the  civil  war  for  young  people  ever  written. 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


YOUNG  AMERICA   ABEOAD. 

FIRST    SERIES. 

A.  Library  of  Travel  and  Adventure  in  Foreign  Lands.     IGiuo. 

Illustrated  by  Aast,  Stevens,  Perkins,  and  others. 

Per  volume,  $1.50. 


1.  OUTWARD   BOUND; 

Or,  Young  America  Afloat. 

2.  SHAMROCK  AND  THISTLE; 

Or,  Y  011113-  America  in  Ireland  and  Scotland. 

3.  RED  CROSS ; 

Or.  Young  America  in  England  and  Wales. 

4.  DIKES  AND  DITCHES; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Holland  and  Belgium. 

5.  PALACE  AND  COTTAGE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  France  and  Switzerland. 

o.  DOWN  THE  RHINE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Germany. 


The  story  from  its  inception  and  through  the  twelve  vol 
umes  (tee  Second  Series) ,  is  a  bewitching  one,  while  the  in 
formation  imparted,  concerning  the  countries  of  Europe  and 
the  isles  of  the  sea,  is  not  only  correct  in  every  particular,  but 
is  told  in  a  captivating  style.  "  Oliver  Optic"  will  continue 
to  be  the  boy's  friend,  and  his  pleasant  books  will  continue  to 
be  read  by  thousands  of  American  boys.  What  a  fine  holiday 
present  either  or  both  series  of  "Young  America  Abroad" 
would  be  for  a  }'oung  friend  !  It  would  make  a  little  library 
highly  prized  by  the  recipient,  and  would  not  be  an  expensiva 
one.  —  Providence  Press. 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD, 

SECOND    SERIES. 

A.  Library  of  Travel  and  Adventure  lit  Foreign  Lands.     IGmo. 

Illustrated  by  JVast,  Stevens,  Perkins,  and  others. 

Per  volume,  $1.50. 


1.  UP  THE  BALTIC; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Norway,  Sweden,  and 
Denmark. 

2.  NORTHERN  LANDS; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Russia  and  Prussia. 

3.  CROSS  AND  CRESCENT; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Turkey  and  Greece. 

4.  SUNNY  SHORES; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Italy  and  Austria. 

5.  VINE  AND  OLIVE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Spain  and  Portugal. 

6.  ISLES  OF  THE  SEA; 

Or,  Young  America  Homeward  Bound. 


"  Oliver  Optic"  is  a  nom  de plume  that  is  known  and  loved 
by  almost  every  boy  of  intelligence  in  the  land.  We  have 
seen  a  highly  intellectual  and  world-weary  man,  a  cynic  whose 
heart  was  somewhat  imbittered  by  its  large  experience  of 
human  nature,  take  up  one  of  Oliver  Optic's  books  and  read 
it  at  a  sitting,  neglecting  his  work  in  }'ielding  to  the  fascina 
tion  of  the  pages.  When  a  mature  and  exceedingly  well- 
informed  mind,  long  despoiled  of  all  its  freshness,  can  thus 
find  pleasure  in  a  book  for  boys,  no  additional  words  of  rec 
ommendation  are  needed.  —  Sunday  Times. 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


WOODYILLE  STORIES. 

Uniform  with  Library  for  Young  People.    Six  vols.    IGiuo.    Illu» 
trated.    Per  vol.,  $1.95. 


1.  RICH  AND  HUMBLE; 

Or,  The  Mission  of  Bertha  Grant. 

2.  IN  SCHOOL  AND  OUT; 

Or,  The  Conquest  of  Richard  Grant. 

3.  WATCH  AND  WAIT; 

Or,  The  Young  Fugitives. 

4.  WORK  AND  WIN ; 

Or,  Noddy  Newman  on  a  Cruise. 

5.  HOPE  AND  HAVE; 

Or,  Fanny  Grant  among  the  Indians. 

6.  HASTE  AND  WASTE; 

Or,  The  Young  Pilot  of  Lake  Charoplain. 


Though  we  are  not  so  young  as  we  once  were,  we  relished 
these  stories  almost  as  much  as  the  boys  and  girls  for  whom 
they  were  written.  They  were  really  refreshing  even  to  us. 
There  is  much  in  them  which  is  calculated  to  inspire  a  gener 
ous,  healthy  ambition,  and  to  make  distasteful  all  reading 
tending  to  stimulate  base  desires.  —  Fitchburg  Reveille. 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 

THE  STARRY  FLAG-  SERIES. 

Six  volumes.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.35. 

1.  THE  STARRY  FLAG; 

Or,  The  Young  Fisherman  of  Cape  Ann. 

2.  BREAKING  AWAY; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Student. 

S.  SEEK  AND  FIND; 

Or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Smart  Boy. 

4.  FREAKS  OF  FORTUNE; 

Or,  Half  Round  the  World. 

5.  MAKE  OR  BREAK; 

Or,  The  Rich  Man's  Daughter. 

6.  DOWN  THE  RIVER; 

Or,  Buck  Bradford  and  the  Tyrants. 


Mr.  Adams,  the  celebrated  and  popular  writer,  familiarly 
^nown  as  "  Oliver  Optic,"  seems  to  have  inexhaustible  funds 
for  weaving  together  the  virtues  of  life  ;  and  notwithstanding 
he  has  written  scores  of  books,  the  same  freshness  and  nov 
elty  runs  through  them  all.  Some  peopl«  think  the  sensa 
tional  element  predominates.  Perhaps  it  does.  But  a  book 
for  young  people  needs  this  ;  and  so  long  as  good  sentiments 
are  inculcated  such  books  ought  to  be  read.  —  Pittsburg  ^a- 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


THE  ONWARD  AND  UPWARD 

SERIES. 

Complete  in  six  volumes.    Illustrated.    In  neat  box. 
Per  volume,  $1.25. 


1.  FIELD  AND  FOREST; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Fanner. 

2.  PLANE  AND  PLANK; 

Or,  The  Mishaps  of  a  Mechanic. 

3.  DESK  AND  DEBIT; 

Or,  The  Catastrophes  of  a  Clerk. 

4.  CRINGLE  AND  CROSS-TREE; 

Or,  The  Sea  Swashes  of  a  Sailor. 

5.  BIVOUAC  AND  BATTLE; 

Or,  The  Struggles  of  a  Soldier. 

6.  SEA  AND  SHORE; 

Or,  The  Tramps  of  a  Traveller. 


Paul  Farringford,  the  hero  of  these  tales,  is,  like  most  of 
this  author's  heroes,  a  }roung  man  of  high  spirit,  and  of  high 
aims  and  correct  principles,  appearing  in  the  different  vol 
umes  as  a  farmer,  a  captain,  a  bookkeeper,  a  soldier,  a  sailor, 
and  a  traveller.  In  all  of  them  the  hero  meets  with  very 
exciting  adventures,  told  in  the  graphic  style  for  which  th» 
author  is  famous.  —  Native. 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


FAMOUS  "BOAT-CLUB"  SERIES, 

Library  for  Young  People.    Six  volumes,  handsomely  illustrated. 
Per  volume,  $1.25. 


1.  THE  BOAT  CLUB; 

Or,  The  Bunkers  of  Rippleton. 

2.  ALL  ABOARD; 

Or,  Life  on  the  Lake. 

3.  NOW  OR  NEVER; 

Or,  The  Adventures  of  Bobby  Bright. 

4.  TRY  AGAIN; 

Or,  The  Trials  and  Triumphs  of  Harry  West. 

5.  POOR  AND  PROUD; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  Katy  Redburn. 

6.  LITTLE  BY  LITTLE; 

Or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Flyaway. 


This  is  the  first  series  of  books  written  for  the  young  by 
"  Oliver  Optic."  It  laid  the  foundation  for  his  fame  as  the 
first  of  authors  in  which  the  young  delight,  and  gained  for 
him  the  title  of  the  Prince  of  Story-Tellers.  The  six  books 
are  varied  in  incident  and  plot,  but  all  are  entertaining  and 
orijrinal. 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


THE  GREAT  WESTERN 

SERIES. 

Six  Volumes.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.50. 


1.  GOING  WEST; 

Or,  The  Perils  of  a  Poor  Boy. 

2.  OUT  WEST; 

Or,  Roughing  it  on  the  Great  Lakes. 

3.  LAKE  BREEZES; 

Or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Sylvania. 

4.  GOING  SOUTH  ; 

Or,  Yachting  on  the  Atlantic  Coas-t. 

5.  DOWN  SOUTH; 

Or,  Yacht  Adventures  in  Florida.    (In  Press- 

6.  UP  THE  RIVER ; 

Or,  Yachting  on  the  Mississippi.    (la  Press.) 


This  is  the  latest  series  of  books  issued  by  this  popular 
arbiter,  and  deals  with  Life  on  the  Great  Lakes,  for  which  a 
tareful  study  was  made  by  the  author  in  a  summer  tour  of  the 
Immense  water  sources  of  America.  The  story,  which  carries 
the  same  hero  through  the  six  books  of  the  series,  is  alwa}-s 
entertaining,  novel  scenes  and  varied  incidents  giving  a  con 
stantly  changing,  yet  alwa}Ts  attractive  aspect  to  the  narra- 
tire.  "Oliver  Optic"  has  written  nothing  better. 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


YACHT  CLUB  SEEIES. 

ruifor«»  with  the  ever  popular  "Boat  Club,"  Series,     Completed 
iu  six  vols.    IGmo.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.5O. 


1.  LITTLE  BOBTAIL; 

Or,  The  Wreck  of  the  Penobscot. 

2.  THE  YACHT  CLUB; 

Or,  The  Young  Boat-Builders. 

3.  MONEY-MAKER; 

Or,  The  Victory  of  the  Basilisk. 

4.  THE  COMING  WAVE; 

Or,  The  Treasure  of  High  Rock. 

6.  THE  DORCAS  CLUB; 

Or,  Our  Girls  Afloat. 

6.  OCEAN  BORN; 

Or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Clubs. 


The  series  has  this  peculiarity,  that  all  of  its  constituent 
volumes  are  independent  of  one  another,  and  therefore  each 
story  is  complete  in  itself.  "Oliver  Optic"  is  perhaps  the 
favorite  author  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  this  country,  and  he 
seems  destined  to  enjoy  an  endless  popularity.  He  deserves 
his  success,  for  he  makes  very  interesting  stories,  and  incul- 
cat«s  none  but  the  best  sentiments;  and  the  "Yacht  Club" 
u  no  exception  to  this  rule. — New  Haven  Jour,  and  Courier. 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


THE  LAKE  SHORE  SERIES. 

Six  volumes.    Illustrated.    In  neat  box.    Per  vol.,  $1.85. 


1.  THROUGH   BY  DAYLIGHT; 

Or,  The  Young  Engineer  of  the  Lake  Shore 
Railroad. 

2.  LIGHTNING  EXPRESS; 

Or,  The  Rival  Academies. 

3.  ON  TIME; 

Or,  The  Yonng  Captain  of  the  Ucayga  Steamer 

4.  SWITCH  OFF; 

Or,  The  War  of  the  Students. 

5.  BRAKE-UP; 

Or,  The  Young  Peacemakers. 

6.  BEAR  AND   FORBEAR; 

Or,  The  Yonng  Skipper  of  Lake  Ucayga. 


"Oliver  Optic"  is  one  of  the  most  fascinating  writers  foi 
youth,  and  withal  one  of  the  best  to  be  found  in  this  or  any 
past  age.  Troops  of  young  people  hang  over  his  vivid  pages, 
and  not  one  of  them  ever  learned  to  be  mean,  ignoble,  cow- 
arcUj',  selfish,  or  to  3'ield  to  any  vice  from  an3*thing  they  ever 
ra«d  from  his  pen.  —  Providence  Press. 


DEC  1  1  1979 


DATE  DUE 


GAYLORD 


PRINTED  IN  U.S    A. 


ONAL  UBRARVFArn  „ 

000199957 


